The Hindu : 4 JD MLAs withdraw support to Rabri Government

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 03, 2004

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4 JD MLAs withdraw support to Rabri Government

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 2. Four MLAs of the Janata Dal (Jayaprakash), led by Shashi Kumar Rai, have withdrawn support to the Rabri Devi Government in Bihar and merged their party with the Janata Dal (United) after a meeting with the party president, George Fernandes, the parliamentary board chairman, Sharad Yadav, and Nitish Kumar on January 31.

``They've decided to merge with the JD (U) against the Rabri-rule in Bihar,'' the party general-secretary and spokesman, K.C. Tyagi, said at a press conference here on Saturday in the presence of Mr. Rai, JD(JP) leader and MLA from Muzaffarpur and Vishwanath Singh, MLA from Katihar. The other two MLAs, Laxmi Yadav from Motihari and Jainandan Yadav from Sitamarhi, were, however, not present at the conference. The leader of the Bihar JD (U) legislature, Upendra Prasad Kushwaha, was present.

``There is a big difference in the RJD governance from the last Assembly elections. The situation has worsened. There is lawlessness, anarchy, chaos and disorder in the State,'' Mr. Tyagi alleged.

The four MLAs had broken away from the JD(U) in 2001 in support of the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Government. ``We had expectations from the RJD-led Government then. But there has been no improvement,'' Mr. Rai said.The party has no representation in Parliament.

On whether the JD (U), which has 42 members against 35 of the BJP in the Bihar Assembly, should assume the opposition leadership in the 243-strong Assembly, Mr. Kushwaha said that was for the Speaker to decide.

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