George's supporters leave JD(U) to revive Samata party

New Delhi, Jan 21 (UNI) ''An influential group'' of Janata Dal (United) supporting former defence minister George Fernandes today left the party to revive Samata Party alleging that it had become a 'pocket burrough' of a few ineffective leaders and was unable to forcefully articulate against the wrong actions of UPA government.

Besides, speculations were rife that the JD(U) may mount presssure on the NDA leadership to ease out Mr Fernandes from the post of NDA Convener.

As expected Mr Fernandes, who is also the NDA Convener, was not present at the National Convention of the JD(U) leaders here as he apparently did not want to risk his JD(U) Lok Sabha membership from Muzaffarpur. With his supporters deserting the JD(U), the NDA leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani would be under increased pressure of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to ease him out of the NDA post.

Suspended Bihar MLA Chhedi Paswan, the lone legislator present at the convention, indicated that there were several dissatisfied MLAs in the JD(U) who were willing to demonstrate their loyalties to Mr Fernandes at an appropriate time.

The group led by JD(U) General Secretary Shivkumar and Presidents of three state units and office bearers from several states today went back to Samata Party headed by former MP Brahmanand Mandal.

The leaders who joined the Samata included Gujarat JD(U) president Praveen Singh Jadeja, Andhra Pradesh president Narasimha Reddy and Uttarakhand president Anurag Kumar in the presence of former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitley.

The resolution adopted sought the blessings of Mr Fernandes whom they described as ''inspiration and guide''.

Mr Shivkumar repeated his allegation that the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav accepted Rs 10,500 crore of allocations for Bihar Government over and above the government's demand of Rs 6,500 crore after they came to power.

The condition was that they should sideline Mr Fernandes and they had done it removing Mr Fernandes from the post of JD(U), he alleged.

The resolution adopted at the convention said the JD(U) had ceased to function as a democratic and active dynamic party and was unable to forcefully articulate against wrong actions of UPA government compromising sovereignty and security of the country leave alone economic policies, social and political injustice.

The performance of Bihar government also figured in the resolution. The governance in the state had degenerated into rule only by bureaucracy and select political coterie. The party had chosen to bask in the glory of Bihar government abdicating its role as a reponsible party that carried the traditions of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia at the national level.

The leaders also slammed the JD(U) for putting up its nominee in byelection in Karnataka to ensure victory of Congress candidate without any democratic process and discussions at any legitimate party forum. ''We, the members of JD(U), who helped to build original Samata Party have chosen to return to its fold and pledge to make it once again a genuine platform of political action. We invite all those who have remained inactive to join our hands,'' the resolution appealed.

UNI