Patna,(BiharTimes): Half a dozen Janata Dal (United) leaders of Muzaffarpur called on chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday evening and registered their strong opposition to the joining of the party by the people having criminal antecedants.
The timing of the meeting is significant as it came just a week ahead of the December 20 rally of chief minister in Muzaffarpur. He is to hold rally of workers of Muzaffarpur, Vaishali and Sitamarhi districts.
That the chief minister gave time to them and listened to their complaints indicates the seriousness of the dissension within the party.
The party leaders expressed their concern over the induction of tainted people into the Janata Dal (United) fold. They conveyed to the chief minister the anger of rank and file of the party over the recent move to take into the party fold Bablu Dev, Rakesh Kumar alias Chunnu Thakur, Shah Alam Shabbu and Mohammad Jamal.
Those who called on Nitish included Hari Om Kushwaha, Bhagwan Lal Mahto, Narendra Patel, Ramashanker Singh and Shailesh Kumar Shailu. Nitish had one-to-one talk with these leaders in a bid to assuage the feeling within the party.
The party appears to be divided over the decision to induct dons. While one section strongly feels that they should be taken into the party as the party has grown weak after the split with the BJP. Others are of the view that it will sent wrong signals and drive voters away from the party as well as tarnish the image of chief minister.