JD-U keen on larger opposition unity to take on NDA at national level

NEW DELHI: The oath-taking ceremony of Nitish Kumar on November 20 is all set to be a mega event with JD-U keen on displaying larger unity of political forces as the grand alliance gears up to take on NDA at the national level.

With a large number of leaders from across the political spectrum having confirmed their participation, the party believes that its impact will be seen even during Winter Session of Parliament beginning November 26.

At a time when some NDA allies have also made positive noise hailing Nitish, the JD-U will be taking up issues like centre-state relationship to reach out to parties on the plank of federalism.

“People have given a mega victory to the Mahagathbandhan led by Nitish Kumar in Bihar. Hence the oath-taking ceremony will also be a mega one. The impact of this mega event will be there on the Winter Session.

“A larger unity of political parties on issues like intolerance, price rise and Centre-State relationship will be visible when the session begins. We are trying for a larger Opposition unity to take on the NDA,” JD-U general secretary K C Tyagi told PTI.

Tyagi said two Maharasthra ministers from Shiv Sena will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Nitish while its chief Uddhav Thackeray called up the Bihar Chief Minister, telling him that he will visit Patna in December and meet him.

Sena had hailed Nitish Kumar’s victory calling him a super hero (Mahanayak).

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal has also spoken to the JD-U leadership and is likely to attend the event.

Tyagi said JD-U had remained in NDA for over 15 years and had shared a warm relationship with Sukhbir Badal and his father and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Among Chief Ministers, who will attend the ceremony are AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal from Delhi, Trinamool Congress’ Mamata Banerjee from West Bengal, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Congress Chief Ministers Tarun Gogoi, Siddaramaiah, Harish Rawat and T. R. Zeliang from Assam, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Nagaland respectively.

The grand alliance is also hopeful of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi attending the event, though there is no final word from the Congress on it.

National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, his son and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will also attend the event, Tyagi said.

AIUDF President Badruddin Ajmal, who had termed the Bihar election results as “victory of secularism and defeat of communal and divisive forces”, will also attend the ceremony.

Assam is one of the four states that will go to Assembly polls in 2016. –PTI