Dissenters list grows in JD(U) over induction of new ministers

Dissension continued to brew within JD(U) over induction of 14 ministers in the Jitan Ram Manjhi cabinet, as a senior legislator quit a party post while several others sulked too.
Former minister and MLA from Kanti in Muzaffarpur Ajit Kumar today resigned from the state party executive committee.
"I have resigned from JD(U) state executive for rewarding those who worked against the party and ignoring genuine workers," Ajit Kumar told PTI.
He said he met former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and told him that if "corrective" steps were not taken, more "trouble" would be there for the party in future.

The MLA from Sahebganj, Raju Kumar Singh, also vented his anger against the selection of ministers.
"The party has coronated defectors from other party (RJD) against whom we have been fighting all along. It will not be possible for me to go to these ministers," Singh said.

Samrat Chaudhary and Javed Iqbal Ansari, who were made ministers, had left RJD and joined JD(U) in February.
MLA Gyanendra Singh Gyanu and MLC Neeraj Kumar, who was the first to come in open against selection of 14 new ministers on Monday itself, stuck to their ground.
Gyanu, MLA from Barh and who headed state JD(U) disciplinary committee, today criticised Bihar party chief Basistha Narayan Singh for accusing him of breaking party discipline.

Gyanu had yesterday said that Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lallan, who is among the new minister, had been suspended from JD(U) before 2010 Assembly poll for speaking against Nitish Kumar, but was made a Lok Sabha candidate and he lost.
People rejected him in the poll but he has been made a minister and given a plum department like Road Construction, Gyanu and Neeraj Kumar said.
On Basistha Narayan Singh, Gyanu said he seems to have no knowledge of party constitution.
"My advise to him is that to save his prestige, he should quit before being humiliated by people like Lallan and R C P Singh (Rajya Sabha member and close aide of Nitish Kumar)" Gyanu told PTI.

JD(U) MLC and party spokesman Neeraj Kumar too protested against the selection of Lallan.
There have been reports of that other MLAs and MLCs including Arun Manjhi, Sanjay Singh, Neeraj Kumar Singh, Shyam Bihari Singh and Zakir Hussain Khan were sulking.