'Nitish Govt overpaid' to sideline Fernandes' : Shivkumar

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Jan 19 (UNI) The fraternal war within the Janata Dal (United) today took an ugly turn when a loyalist of former Union Minister George Fernandes alleged that the J D (U)-led Bihar coalition was 'over paid' by the UPA government at the Centre to sideline Mr Fernandes within the party.

J D (U) General Secretary Shivkumar alleged that after the Nitish Kumar-led coalition came to power in the state, it submitted a demand of Rs 6,500 crore plan allocation for 2006 before the Planning Commission. "To everybody's surprise, Bihar was allocated Rs 10,500 crore, almost double the demand which has never happened in the past even when Congress was in power at the Centre and Bihar," he alleged.

Mr Shivkumar said this overpayment was not an act of 'generosity or kindness' to help Bihar but was intended to sideline Mr Fernandes, the 'hub of anti-Congress forces' in the country. "I am not against Bihar getting more money but Mr Nitish Kumar and J D (U) President Sharad Yadav accepted and implemented the Congress dictates to sideline Mr Fernandes, who had heralded a fight to liberate Bihar from the clutches of Lalu-Rabri for 15 long years and was humiliated within the J D (U)", Mr Shivkumar, who is convening a meeting of J D (U) workers on January 21 to revive Samata Party, told UNI.

Mr Shivkumar alleged that the plan hatched by Mr Nitish Kumar and J D (U) President Sharad Yadav was to collaborate with Congress with a 'premise' that the Supreme Court would hold Railway Minister Lalu Prasad guilty in the 'disproportionate assets' case.

The meeting, he said, had taken place at the residence of J D (U) General Secretary K C Tyagi and Mr Rajeev Shukla, the Rajya Sabha member from the Congress was present, he claimed. If things were to go according to their plans, the J D (U) would have joined hands with Congress and divided the RJD to form the government in Bihar dumping the BJP. Mr Yadav was to join the UPA Cabinet, Mr Kumar alleged.

The J D (U) leader charged that several actions taken by the J D (U) was to help Congress including putting up a candidate in Chamundeshwari seat in Karnataka to help Congress nominee Siddaramaiah. If the J D (U) were not to field any candidate, the Congress which won the seat by 257 votes would have lost the seat and an anti-Congress candidate would have won the seat, he contended. J D (U) had fielded a candidate from the majority community to help Congress candidate manage to secure 900 votes, he alleged.

Asked for the party's comments on Mr Shivkumar'a allegations, party Spokesman Shambu Srivastava declined to comment.

UNI

For Daily Alerts
Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
X