NEW DELHI: The split in the JD (U) seems imminent after the national executive meeting called by the dissident Sharad Yadav on Sunday appointed Gujarat legislature Chottubhai Vasava as party chief replacing Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. The Sunday meeting also nullified the decision of the party to join the NDA.
The supporters of Yadav held the meeting in the national capital in which Vasava, who is also the Gujarat unit party chief and a six-term MLA, was appointed the acting president of the party. Vasava had also defied the whip of the party to vote for the Congress’ nominee in the Rajya Sabha election Ahmed Patel recently. The meeting also saw decisions, including constitution of a disciplinary committee to take action against the Bihar chief minister for forging alliance with the BJP in the state.
Though the Bihar legislators and MPs barring Ali Anwar of the Rajya Sabha have remained loyal to Kumar, supporters of Yadav claimed that the Sunday meeting was attended by most of the state chiefs of the party.
The meeting called by the rebel group also nullified the decision of the JD (U) to appoint Anil Hegde as the returning officer for the organisational election of the party. “The state unit chiefs of the party were earlier sacked at the whims and fancies of the Bihar chief minister. The national executive meeting on Sunday reinstated all of them,” said Arun Kumar Srivasatava, who had earlier been removed as the general secretary of the party by Kumar for anti-party activities.
Sources in the JD (U) said that the actions would be taken against Yadav and his associates, which could include expulsion from the party also. Incidentally, Yadav and Anwar would not lose memberships of the Rajya Sabha if they are expelled by the JD (U). The Election Commission had also last week refused to take cognisance of the claims of the rebels on the issue of party symbol.