Battleground Delhi: JD(U), Congress at odds over Nitish party support to AAP

Patna, Jan 27: Brushing aside Congress protest, JD(U) on Tuesday said it would extend support to the Aam Admi Party (AAP) in Delhi poll.

"JD(U) will support Aam Admi Party of Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi," state JD(U) President Basistha Narayan Singh told reporters. When asked that Congress was protesting this, Singh said JD(U) had ties with the Congress in Bihar only and outside the state they were free to chart a different course.

Meanwhile, JD(U) National General Secretary K C Tyagi said there was a proposal to extend support to AAP in Delhi, but a decision had not yet been taken.

"Samajwadi Party and RJD have fielded candidates in Delhi and in such a condition JD(U) canvassing for AAP could not do better...we have kept the decision to support AAP on hold," Tyagi said.

Bihar JD(U) chief assertions on AAP came in the background of Congress in Bihar raising protest on it. AICC member and chief spokesman of state Congress Prem Chandra Mishra had recently expressed unhappiness over Nitish Kumar campaigning for Kejriwal.

Mishra, in a statement on January 24, had reminded JD(U) that his party was extending support to Kumar's party ministry in Bihar.

"Earlier also Nitish Kumar extended support to INLD of imprisoned Om Prakash Chautala against Congress and now if he does the same in Delhi it will hurt the feeling of Congressmen," Mishra said in his statement.

He described Kumar as a "mature leader" and said there should be some "maryada" (honesty) in politics that if a party was running a government in a state with the help of crucial support of a party, it's not justified to campaign in favour of any party opposed to it in another state.

Mishra said if Kumar goes ahead supporting AAP in Delhi, Congress central leadership should review decision of continuing its support to JD(U) in Bihar.

PTI