Although Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) has told Sharad Yadav to join Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the rebel leader on Wednesday claimed that he was the real JD-U and he will prove it soon.
Sharad Yadav also said he will decide the future course of action at a convention of JD-U on October 8 here and added that his lawyers would respond to the Election Commission which did not take cognisance of his faction’s application claiming to be the “real JD-U”.
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“We are the real JD-U and we will prove it in the coming days. You will be surprised to see the way we are going to expand it,” Sharad Yadav told reporters here.
“We are going to hold our national convention in Delhi on October 8 where we will decide our future course of action,” he added.
Asked about the Election Commission rejected the plea staking claim over the party symbol, Sharad Yadav said: “It has not been rejected. Our lawyers are looking into the matter and will respond at the appropriate time.”
He acknowledged that he had a got a notice from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat regarding his membership of the upper house. “My lawyers will respond to the notice.”
Sharad Yadav said he never violated the principles and ethics of the party’s constitution and it was the other group led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar which breached the Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance of the JD-U, RJD and Congress.
He accused the rival faction of shattering the faith and trust of 11 crore people in Bihar who voted for the Grand Alliance.
Sharad Yadav said he was being targeted on the pretext that he attended a rally at Patna on August 27.
“It was the same place where the Mahagathbandhan was convened and we made promises to the people based on our manifesto.”
Sharad Yadav accused that Nitish Kumar-led JD-U faction of indulging in anti-party activities by breaking from the Mahagathbandhan.
“Based on our manifesto, the people of Bihar voted for (us). I have never seen in this country’s history a political party which contested election against another party joining hands with it after 18 months. It is a shame.”
The JD-U in July-end split into two factions, one led by Nitish Kumar and the other by Sharad Yadav, after the Bihar Chief Minister dumped the Grand Alliance and embraced the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a new government.
The JD-U on August 12 removed Sharad Yadav as the party’s leader in the Rajya Sabha.
According to JD-U leaders, 70 MLAs, two Lok Sabha members and seven Rajya Sabha members are with the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal-United.
On September 8, a JD-U delegation led by party MP R.C.P. Singh approached the poll panel and staked claim on the party symbol, saying Sharad Yadav had no claim on the party. Last month, the Sharad Yadav faction staked its claim on the party.
