Amid charges levelled by opposition against JD(U) of its surrender before the BJP leadership during cabinet expansion, the party on Thursday denied having ever demanded any particular number of berths in union cabinet, saying its relation with BJP was based on mutual trust and the NDA government headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was functioning well in Bihar.
Patna : State JD(U) president Umesh Kushwaha told media persons here that his party had never demanded for quota or any particular number of berths in union cabinet as it was purely prerogative of Prime Minister to decide. Our leader or any one else in the party had not ever demanded for particular number of ministers from
JD(U) quota in government at the Centre, he clarified while responding to a specific query regarding Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who had rejected symbolic representation in
unions cabinet, demanding for proportional representation during formation of new NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his second inning, after Lok Sabha
elections in 2019.
JD(U) leader dismissed speculations over chairman of parliamentary board of JD(U) Upendra Kushwaha becoming national president of the party after incumbent JD(U) president RCP Singh being inducted in union cabinet during its expansion by Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday.There was no vacancy of JD(U) president as present incumbent Mr Singh would continue as party president despite becoming Minister at the Centre, he stressed.
As it is, chief spokesman of RJD Bhai Birendra had alleged earlier during the day that Chief Minister Mr Kumar surrendered before BJP leadership by accepting only one berth for JD(U) in cabinet expansion by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Kumar had rejected the symbolic representation of one berth in cabinet during formation of new NDA government at the Centre after Lok Sabha elections in 2019, he had pointed out. Congress MLC Prem Chandra Mishra had also made similar remark after only one minister from JD(U) quota was accommodated in cabinet expansion by Prime Minister Mr Modi yesterday.
