Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday criticised the saffron party for engineering defection in JD(U) MLAs of Manipur.
Kumar told media persons here on Saturday that the incident of defection of JD (U) MLAs in Manipur was grossly unconstitutional and it reflected the character of BJP.
After recently held Assembly elections in Manipur, JD(U) was supporting BJP government there and now five of six MLAs were allured by BJP to leave the party and join them, he added.
“In alliance, BJP never offered any post to JD(U) MLAs in other states and later they engineered defection”, Chief Minister said adding that it was totally a different and new culture displayed by any party. Nothing like that had happened earlier, he noted.
Kumar said that all six MLAs had informed on Thursday that they were reaching Patna to attend the national executive meeting of JD(U).
Even all MLAS had arrived in Patna to meet him recently, he stated.
” If all opposition parties get united , then the result of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would be good”, the Chief Minister said, adding that he would go to New Delhi on September 5.
It is expected that during his three day visit to New Delhi, Kumar will meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders to evolve opposition unity to take on BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, the national executive meeting of JD(U) was held in Patna on Saturday while the national council meeting of the party would be held on September 4. Strategies would be finalised for 2024 Lok Sabha elections during the crucial meeting of the party, convened for the first time after Chief Minister Kumar walked out from NDA to join hands with RJD to form Grand Alliance government in Bihar, infusing a new strength in opposition parties at national level to counter BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, JD(U) president Rajeev Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh on Saturday alleged that BJP misused its immense money power to engineer defection in JD(U) MLAs of Manipur.
Singh told media persons here that defection engineered by BJP in JD(U) MLAs of Manipur, was a blatant display of its money power.
All six MLAs of JD(U) had emerged victorious contesting against BJP in recently held Assembly elections in Manipur, he stressed.
JD(U) president said that five of six JD(U) MLAs in Manipur were allured by BJP to join the party on Friday.
Similarly, JD(U) had bagged seven seats in 2019 Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and its six MLAs were allured to join BJP in December 2020, he further said adding that remaining one MLA of JD(U) was also allured by BJP who joined the saffron party last month.
Meanwhile, former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and BJP member of Rajya Sabha Sushil Kumar Modi sharply reacted over the allegation of JD(U) leader Lalan Singh and dubbed it as completely baseless.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh along with State BJP president A Sharda Devi Saturday received the JD(U) MLAs who joined the ruling party on Friday.
“This merger shows the love and trust entrusted by people in the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda,” said Biren.
