Hours after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inducted 8 new Ministers in his state cabinet all from JD-U, the leaders of both the parties – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and JD(U) – skipped the iftar parties organized by each other on Sunday.
Just like every year, Janata Dal (United) organized its Iftar party at Haj Bhawan. However, no leader of its ally, BJP were present at the party. Bihar Former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and a partner of UPA were present in the party.
A similar party was organized by Bihar Deputy CM and BJP Leader Sushil Kumar Modi. However, no JD-U Leader was present in the event.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Leader Rabri Devi also hosted an Iftar party on Sunday at her official residence. Many Leaders of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) including Jitan Ram Manjhi and Shivanand Tiwari attended the event.
Earlier in the day, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inducted 8 new faces from JD-U: Ashok Chaudhary, Shyam Rajak, Laxmeshwar Prasad, Bhima Bharati, Ram Sevak Singh, Sanjay Jha, Neeraj Kumar, and Narendra Narayan Yadav in his cabinet.
The move came amidst speculations about a possible rift in between JD-U and Bharatiya Janata Party over ministerial berth in the Narendra Modi Cabinet. However, dismissing all such claims, Lawmaker Shyam Rajak said the National Democratic Alliance is intact in Bihar, and reports about the rift are just rumors.
Nitish Kumar had on May 30 announced not to be a part of Narendra Modi-led Union Cabinet saying that BJP’s offer of one ministerial berth in the cabinet is not acceptable.
When I was told one ministerial berth will be given to JD(U), I said we don’t need it but I’ll ask my party. I asked everyone, they said it’s not appropriate that we show only symbolic participation when we’re together. We’re together, not upset’, Kumar said as quoted by ANI.
READ: Days after opting out of Modi Cabinet 2.0, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar inducts 8 JD(U) MLAs in State Cabinet
Janata Dal (United) contested the national polls in an alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party. It has bagged 16 out of 17 contested Seat in Bihar that has a total of 40 Lok Sabha Seats. Ram Vilas Paswan’s LJP was also an alliance partner of BJP and JD-U in Bihar.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Alliance in the state swept polls by bagging 39 Seats out of the 40 Lok Sabha Seats. RJD who led the opposition alliance comprising Congress, RLSP, Jitan Ram Manjhi‘s HAM, among others faced a humiliating defeat in the national polls concluded on May 23. The UPA only won a single seat in the state.
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