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

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

Patna: Dissension continued to brew within JD(U) over induction of 14 ministers in the Jitan Ram Manjhi cabinet, as a senior legislator quitting party post while several others were sulking too.Former minister and MLA from

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 his ground.  Gyanu, MLA from Barh and who headed state JD(U) disciplinary committee, today criticised Bihar party chief Basistha Narayan Singh for accusing him (Gyanu) of breaking party discipline.

Gyanu had said yesterday 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 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 had opened his mouth to protest the selection of Lallan.  There has been reports of many other MLAs and MLCs including Arun Manjhi, Sanjay Singh, Neeraj Kumar Singh, Shyam Bihari Singh and Zakir Hussain Khan have been sulking.