Date:08/01/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/01/08/stories/2003010804471100.htm

National

Fernandes to meet Bihar SP leaders today

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JAN. 7. In an effort to defuse the crisis in the Samata Party, its president and Defence Minister, George Fernandes, is scheduled to meet Bihar unit leaders tomorrow. It comes in the wake of dissidence in the party by the pro-Nitish Kumar faction.

Although the party has been facing dissidence for the past few months, matters took a sharp turn last month when six MPs from Bihar, close to Mr. Kumar, threatened to resign if their demand for the removal of the State unit chief, Raghunath Jha, was not met.

Matters worsened, when on January 2, the Samata national general secretary, Nitish Kumar, walked out in protest from a meeting of the National Democratic Alliance constituents in Bihar chaired by Mr. Fernandes for not having invited him to take part in it.

The pro-Nitish group then called a meeting of the State Executive on January 19, which has been declared `unconstitutional' both by Mr. Jha and party spokesman, Shambhu Shrivastwa.

Indications are that for the present, the Central leadership was keen to avert a showdown and a situation that could result in parting of ways. Party sources said, in the run up to tomorrow's meeting, Mr. Fernandes had met Mr. Kumar here last weekend to sort out the problem.

The party leadership feels that removing Mr. Jha, whose term is scheduled to expire in two months, would not just be an `insult' to him but also cause embarrassment to Mr. Fernandes.

On the other hand, by persisting with Mr. Jha, the possibility of a formal split in the State unit could not be ruled out.

The trouble in the party came to the fore at a time when the RJD Government led by Rabri Devi is facing a turbulent time with almost the entire Opposition joining hands in the wake of an alleged fake police encounter which led to the killing of three young men in Patna.

Meanwhile, suspended Samata MP, Brahmanand Mandal, today sought to warn Mr. Fernandes of the `dangerous tendency' in the party. Mr. Mandal, who was suspended after he made observations against Mr. Nitish Kumar, objected to pro-Nitish supporters equating the party with the Railway Minister.