Sharad Yadav to contest party presidential poll

Mumbai, Apr 7 (UNI) Senior Janata Dal(United) leader Sharad Yadav will contest the party presidential poll to be held during the party's two-day national convention at Patna on April 11-12.

Stating this here today, JD(U) General Secretary Arun Kumar Srivastava said nomination papers for Mr Yadav's candidature would be filed tomorrow.

On whether present party president George Fernandes will contest the poll, Mr Srivastava said Mr Fernandes is now ''incapable'' for the post as despite being the JD(U) chief for the last three years, there has been no meeting of the party's national executive for the last one year. In his tenure so far, only three meetings of the executive have been conducted, he lamented during an interface with media persons.

He claimed Mr Fernandes had not even once come to the party office and neither did he visit other states on JD(U)'s official matters. Even if he (Mr Fernandes) is in any state on a personal visit, the party chief of the concerned unit is not informed, Mr Srivastava further claimed.

He said, for the coming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Mr Fernandes, without holding any discussion with the state leaders, forged an alliance with a 'morcha' of 'Nadar' caste and gave it the party symbol, despite the fact that the JD(U) has tied-up with the Bharatiya Janata Party there. Mr Srivastava said it is their policy not to ally with any religion or caste-based party.

On the possibility of it being a Fernandes versus Yadav battle, he said if it happens, then Mr Yadav would get 90 per cent of the votes, as the party is ''unhappy with Mr Fernandes's work.'' UNI VKK-GK SA PA RAI1907