Patna: Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) national president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday tried to play down defections of his party MLAs to BJP in Arunachal Pradesh and said that the national executive of JD(U) will discuss the developments on December 26 and 27.
Talking to newsmen after the inauguration of the Lohiya Chakra flyover in the capital, Nitish said that there was nothing big to be made of the issue ("Koi Baat Nahi Hai"). He did not elaborate further on the matter.
However, sources close to the chief minister claimed that the betrayal by six out of seven JD(U) MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh has not been appreciated by the party president.
They said that the defecting legislators did not inform Nitish earlier. There was no communication from the BJP either, they said, adding that the BJP and the JD(U) are partners in the NDA government in Bihar.
Representatives of the JD(U) from Arunachal Pradesh, too, have been invited to attend the national executive committee meeting here.
On November 26, the JD(U) had expelled two of its MLAs in Arunanchal Pradesh on charges of anti-party activities.
In the last month's assembly elections in Bihar, the JD(U) was reduced to 43 from 71 of its earlier strength in the House and the BJP, in turn, increased its tally to 75 from the earlier 50.
Nitish Kumar had to concede to the demands of the BJP during the cabinet formation and inducted two BJP legislators as deputy chief ministers in place of one deputy CM.
