Sharad Yadav bats for Oppn front against BJP in Gujarat

NEW DELHI : The breakaway faction of the Janata Dal (United) hopes to rustle up an alliance with the Congress, Left parties and the outfit led by Hardik Patel in order to jointly oppose the BJP in the Gujarat assembly elections scheduled in December.

“I met senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel yesterday (Sunday) to discuss the issue. Sharad Yadav – the patron of the splinter group – has been in touch with other leaders including those of the Left. The broad framework of the alliance should be ready within a week,” said Chotubhai Vasava, the acting president of the breakaway group.

At a meeting on Sunday, the Yadav faction of the party declared Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s elevation as the party president as “null and void” and elected the six-term legislator from Gujarat in his place. Asked about Kumar’s status in the party, Vasava said he had “left the party”.

The breakaway group has also convened a meeting of the party national council on October 8 to formulate the future course of action.

Following Kumar’s decision to dump the “Mahagathbandhan” partners in Bihar to align with the BJP, the ginger group led by Yadav has been claiming to be the “real” JD (U) in a representation to the Election Commission.

The official faction has also made its case for the party name and symbol before the EC, while also having approached the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, seeking removal of Yadav and Ali Anwar Ansari for anti-party activities.

“We have sought time for four weeks from the Election Commission to present the facts”, Ansari told HT.