JD(U) to hold review meeting after poor MLC poll performance
The party is set to discuss losses in the Legislative Council elections and tensions with NDA ally BJP.
The Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) is preparing to hold a meeting on Thursday to review its performance in the Legislative Council (MLC) polls, according to The Indian Express. The party lost three of the four council seats it contested.
The JD(U) candidate Abhishek Jha lost the Tirhut Graduates seat to independent Bansidhar Brajwasi, while Pushkar Anand lost the Saran Teachers seat to BJP rebel Rahul Raj. Additionally, JD(U) candidate Ghanshyam Rai lost the Darbhanga Teachers seat to Jan Suraaj Party's S P Rai. The party's only victory was by chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar from the Patna Graduates seat.
A senior JD(U) leader blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the losses, alleging that the BJP's non-cooperation prevented the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from winning at least five of eight seats. The leader stated that the BJP's quick move to induct the two independent MLCs, Brajwasi and Raj, showed a lack of support for the JD(U).
The review meeting is expected to be attended by JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, state president Umesh Kushwaha, Health Minister Nishant Kumar, and deputy CMs Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Vijay Kumar Choudhary. Union Minister and senior party leader Rajiv Ranjan ‘Lalan’ Singh is expected to skip the meeting.
Internal tensions are also noted within the party, including a possible power tussle between Sanjay Jha and Lalan Singh. Meanwhile, one leader suggested that both Jha and Singh agree that the party's politics will gravitate around Nishant Kumar, the son of Nitish Kumar.