Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav on Tuesday categorically stated that his party would not return to the NDA fold even if senior BJP leader L K Advani was back at helm of affairs in the BJP.
Sharad was forced to clarify his earlier statement where he said that if Advani became the prime ministerial candidate, his party could consider returning to the alliance.
“This is wrong. We did not part ways from the NDA only because of the sole reason concerning Advani. There were a number of issues on which we were finding it difficult to get along,” he said.
Asked whether he is ruling out joining hands with the BJP after the Lok Sabha polls, Sharad said his party just parted ways from the BJP and was focused on strengthening the organisation. “We have separated just now. So we are not thinking on these issues right now.”
Asked about the JD(U) warming up to the Congress, Sharad said even the Left parties have said that the JD(U) was secular.
“We have not thought of any way forward on this alliance issue (with the Congress) right now,” he said.
Clash after Divorce
The supporters of former allies BJP and the JD(U) clashed on the streets here during a day-long saffron party-sponsored Bihar bandh on Tuesday, adds PTI. Normal life was hit and train services were disrupted during the bandh. Over 3,200 people, including BJP leaders Sushil Kumar Modi, Ravi Shankar Prasad and C P Thakur, were arrested.
A clash broke out on the Veer Chand Patel Path, which hosts offices of both JD(U) and BJP, with supporters of the two parties attacking each other which resulted in injuries on both sides. The clash took place after BJP protesters objected to a group of JD(U) workers marching towards their office apparently to obstruct their agitation.