NEW DELHI: Senior JD(U) leader
Sharad Yadav put to rest the speculation of an impending split in the party and said there was "no question" of such an eventuality arising in spite of recent events.
Refuting close aide Vijay Verma's statement that he was considering breaking away to float a new party, Yadav said, "Vijay Verma is my old companion. Whatever he said, he said it out of emotions. There is no question of forming a new party."
On Wednesday, Verma had hinted that owing to differences with party president Nitish Kumar post his walking out of the Bihar
grand alliance, the JD(U) veteran could form a new party.
"Sharadji is in touch with old friends and is pondering over the political situation. Forming a new party is one of the options to which a serious thought is being given," Verma had claimed.
He had also added that Yadav had ruled out joining the NDA government at the Centre as a minister.
It was widely reported that Yadav was displeased with Nitish for his sudden decision to quit the grand alliance comprising the
RJD and
Congress and had openly stated that by joining forces with the
BJP, Nitish was "cheating with the mandate of the people of Bihar."
He had also been quick to attack the BJP, pointing out that the saffron party is yet to fulfill its electoral promise of bringing back black money stashed abroad. He had also demanded why no action had been taken against those whose names had appeared in the infamous Panama Papers.
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"Neither black money stashed abroad returned, one of the main slogans of the ruling party, nor anyone caught out of those named in Panama papers," Yadav said in a tweet, mere days after the JD(U)-BJP combine formed the government in the state.
This, even after party sources claimed that prior to his quitting as CM and forming the next government with BJP, Nitish had a three-hour meeting with Yadav during which the latter was briefed about the plan in detail.
Meanwhile, RJD chief
Lalu Prasad has extended an invitation to Sharad, urging him to lead the battle against the BJP in Bihar. Earlier in the day, RJD leaders had once again met with Yadav to discuss problems related with farmers, labourers and the 'disappointed' common man.
Nitish Kumar ended the coalition government with the RJD and Congress on July 26 by resigning as the
Bihar Chief Minister. However, he formed the government with the BJP the very next day.