'Sharad Yadav to decide future strategy after August 17 meeting'

Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav, who has opposed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's alliance with the BJP to form the new government in Bihar, will plan his future strategy after a conclave in Delhi on August 17, leaders close to him said on Thursday.

"Sharad Yadav will stay with the Grand Alliance while the idea of forming a new party will take some time," Bihar Janata Dal-United leader Vijay Kumar Verma, who is a member of the Bihar legislative council, said.

The proposed conclave on Mahatma Gandhi's legacy will be attended by leaders of non-BJP parties.

Verma said Sharad Yadav, a Rajya Sabha member, will visit Bihar on August 8 and stay in the state for a week.

Another party functionary, Javed Raza, took objection to a party leader's attack on Sharad Yadav for not supporting the JD-U alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Bihar.

Raza said no leader loyal to Sharad Yadav had spoken against Nitish Kumar, who is also the JD-U President, and thus the party spokespersons should also not make remarks against Sharad Yadav.

Sharad Yadav had dubbed Nitish Kumar's tie-up with the BJP as "unfortunate" and said he did not agree with his decision.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, the Rajya Sabha member said: "The public mandate (in Bihar in 2015) was not for this."

Nitish Kumar on July 26 resigned as the Chief Minister, breaking the 20-month-old Grand Alliance of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress and the JD-U.

After the surprise break-up, Nitish Kumar next morning aligned again with the BJP and formed a new coalition government in the state with the BJP support.

--IANS

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