JD(U) extends support to Saryu Roy; Nitish to campaign for him

JD(U), BJP's key NDA ally in Bihar,on Tuesday pledged support to former Jharkhand minister Saryu Roy, who is contesting as an Independent candidate against Chief Minister Raghubar Das from Jamshedpur (East) in the assembly elections.

Senior Janata Dal (United) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh, who said his party is contesting the Jharkhand assembly elections on its own "with all its might", has withdrawn its prospective candidate from the seat in favour of Roy.

Singh, a close associate of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and who is JD(U) Parliamentary Party leader in Lok Sabha, stated the party's stand at a press conference here.

Roy on Monday said his closeness with Bihar cm could be one of the reasons for BJP denying him the ticket.

"The JD(U) has decided to support Saryu Roy, who has filed nomination as an independent candidate. Our prospective nominee has been withdrawn (from the Jamshedpur (East) seat)," Singh told reporters.

"If Roy requests," Singh said when asked whether Kumar will campaign for Roy.

Roy, who had tendered resignation from the cabinet on Sunday night and declared that he would take on cm in the election, on Monday claimed that his closeness with Bihar cm could be one of the reasons for BJP denying him the ticket.

At least three members of the BJP Parliamentary Board, that approved candidates list, told me that release of my book by Kumar in 2017 was strongly resented and probably this cost me the party nomination, Roy said in support.

The book "Samay Ka Lekh", which was released by Kumar in Patna in December 2017, highlighted importance of public finance and disastrous results of mismanagement of it in modern times with Bihar in its backdrop.

Kumar who fought 2015 Bihar polls as part of Grand Alliance with RJD and Congress had walked out of the opposition coalition on the issue of graft charges against his then deputy Tejashwi Yadav and joined hands with the BJP again in July 2017 to form NDA ministry.

Both Das and Roy filed their nomination papers on Monday from the Jamshedpur (East) seat.

Singh said the party will also urge Kumar to campaign for party candidates in some constituencies even as he is busy with works in Bihar.

To a query, Singh said the JD(U)/BJP alliance is restricted to Bihar and both the parties are independent to contest anywhere else.

JD(U) is fighting election alone in Jharkhand, which was carved out of Bihar in 2000.

The party has so far announced names of 25 candidates for Jharkhand polls.

Singh said the JD(U) is contesting the assembly elections in Jharkhand on "Nitish Model" (good governance) which has developed Bihar in the last 14 years.

"Under the Nitish Kumar government, electricity is being given 22 hours every day, the plantation has increased, the growth rate has reached 11.3 per cent and road network has been laid,' Singh said, adding several initiatives taken by the Bihar government have been adopted by the central government.

"Now after some time, we believe the centre will also adopt the newly launched Jal, Jivan and Haryali (water, life and greenery) to protect the environment," Singh said.

Regretting that some JD(U) leaders in Jharkhand had put the party in their 'pocket', Singh said it was good riddance that such people had left the party.

"When Samata Party was there, five/six MLAs were there in Jharkhand assembly. Now the JD(U) is trying to recover its past strength," Singh said.

The Samata Party had merged into the JD (U), which has drawn blank in the 2009 and 2014 elections to the Jharkhand assembly.

Jharkhand is going for polls in five phases between November 30 and December 20 with counting taking place on December 23.