Patna, Aug. 25: The MPs of the JD(U) are in a quandary over diktats issued by Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav to remain present in Bihar and Delhi on the same day.
The chief minister has directed them to be present at 1 Aney Marg for the workers’ meet of the party tomorrow, while the JD(U) national president has issued a whip directing all the MPs to be present in the ongoing session of the Parliament.
The Telegraph spoke to a few MPs to fathom what is going on in their minds in the wake of two conflicting directives from the two party leaders. Being the last Monday of the month, the workers’ meetings are usually held at the official residence of the chief minister. This time, the MPs, MLAs and MLCs of Khagaria, Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnea, Madhepura, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Vaishali have been asked to attend the meet. Nitish has also asked his cabinet ministers to attend the workers’ janata durbar.
However, because of the ongoing Parliament session, the JD(U) president Sharad Yadav has directed all MPs not to miss the session at the cost of attending regional meetings in the state.
The JD(U) MPs are, however, keen on attending the Parliament session because they do not want to “face any trouble from the party president”.
Khagaria MP Dinesh Chandra Yadav said: “The Parliament session, as well as the workers’ meet, are equally important. Sharadji has issued a whip and has asked us to attend the Parliament session. On the other hand, Nitishji has called the meeting at his official residence. However, it is not possible for me to go against the party president.”
On August 23, Sharad had written a letter to JD(U) state unit president Bashishtha Narayan Singh, asking all the MPs to air their views in the Parliament on important bills such as the one on food security.
“I think all the MPs would attend the Parliament session because nobody wants to lose his/her party membership. If Sharadji finds us violating the directive, he is permitted to take any action against an MP. There might be a voting on the food security bill tomorrow and if we are absent, it will send a wrong message to the senior leaders,” Dinesh said.
A JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP said: “A directive has been issued in both the Houses so it becomes legally necessary to attend the session. Otherwise, there would have been no issues in attending the meeting in Bihar. We have been asked to remain present everyday in the Parliament.”
