Allies' stand over Bihar package worries BJP

By Our Staff Correspondent

PATNA, SEPT. 28. Union Ministers belonging to the NDA constituents are joining hands with the Rashtriya Janata Dal in demanding an economic package for Bihar after the creation of Jharkhand. The fact that not all Bihar MPs turned up for the meeting aimed at furthering Bihar's cause is a manifestation of group politics. While the BJP MPs were unenthusiastic over the meeting, the Communications Minister, Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan, intends to open a separate front.

Besides a package of Rs. 1.80 lakh crore, the State Government has sought immediate payment of Rs. 40,000 crore to tide over the crisis resulting from its loss of revenue and resources to Jharkhand.

The Centre had not included the package of Rs.1.8 lakh crores in the bill, which has since become an act, ignoring the amendment proposed by the State Legislature, thus not committing itself to help the State bear with the hardship.

Though the Samata Party and the JD(U) had not supported the RJD's amendment in Parliament, their leaders are now putting their act together.

Mr. Paswan has threatened to quit the Cabinet if the Railway zonal office at Hajipur was closed and the proposal for the rail bridge across the river Ganga, linking Patna with Hajipur, was dropped.

The Agriculture Minister, Mr. Nitish Kumar, and the Civil Aviation Minister, Mr. Sharad Yadav, too say that they would not compromise on Bihar's development.

Mr. Paswan is accusing his two detractors of stalling projects for his constituency. Though Mr. Kumar and Mr. Sharad Yadav are formidable enough to pressure the alliance leadership to concede their demands, they seem to join hands with the RJD supremo, Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav.

The developments point to alignment of political forces to the RJD's advantage. If the Samata Party and the JD(U) have something surprising, the BJP would have difficulty forming the government in Jharkhand.

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Section  : Other States
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