JVM not to contest Bihar polls, but will support Nitish

Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) president Babulal Marandi today said his party will not contest the Assembly polls in Bihar, due later this year, but shall support Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
"We will not contest the Assembly polls in Bihar but certainly support Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to defeat the communal forces," Marandi, a former Jharkhand Chief Minister told reporters, showering praise on the senior JD(U) leader.
Marandi, who was here to launch his party's 'Nyay Yatra', said if asked by Kumar JVM leaders will actively take part in campaigning for the Bihar chief minister.
"He (Kumar) is one of the top politicians of the country. He is not in politics to extend benefit to his family or himself but for the cause of the nation," he said adding that Kumar had never embroiled in any controversy.

Bihar has earned its due recognition in the world due to his good work, he said while pulling up BJP for indulging in politics of division for political gain.
The politics of BJP was aimed at dividing the society and disturbing communal harmony to derive political mileage, said Marandi who had headed the first government of Jharkhand led by BJP, before quitting the party in 2006 to form JVM.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das made tall promises during election campaign but none of the promises are fulfilled, he alleged.
Marandi also questioned the intention of Jharkhand government over its proposal to set up big industries in the mineral-rich state.

Stating that Raghubar Das government was marching on a "wrong track", he said there was no need for big industries like 5,000 or 10,000 MW power plants in the state.
He emphasised on small plants of 100 or 200 MW capacity which required less land and minimum displacement.
About Jharkhand government's proposed Land Bank to be launched in the first week of July, Marandi said the concepts of land bank proposed by the government led by him and the present one were different.
"While the land bank proposal conceptualised by my government was aimed to benefit poor, Naxal-affected families and was in the interest of the state, the one by the Das government seeks to grab land forcibly," Marandi alleged.