Sharad Yadav in two minds, meets Opposition leaders

New Delhi: Opposition leaders, who are in touch with dissident JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, on Saturday claimed that he was “in two minds” as far as his Opposition to Nitish Kumar’s decision of joining the NDA was concerned and did not rule out the possibility of him jumping onto the BJP bandwagon at the last minute. JD(U) sources said that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar was likely to visit the capital next week. 

This would be Mr Kumar’s first visit to the national capital after assuming office in alliance with the NDA.  Though it was not clear, sources close to Mr Yadav claimed that he has not spoken with the Bihar chief minister since the day of his resignation. Now, it would be interesting to see whether the two JD(U) leaders meet.

Mr Yadav has been in touch with both Opposition and ruling party leaders since the political developments in Bihar. He met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and spoke on phone with Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday. He also met CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Congress Leader of House in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday.

“He (Sharad Yadav) has always worked to strengthen secular powers and I have full hope he will continue to do so,” Mr Azad said on Saturday.

Sources in the Opposition camp said that Mr Yadav has been offered a Cabinet berth, but fears of losing the Yadav votebank is holding him back. 

The Congress is desperately trying to keep Mr Yadav on their side, considering the Rajya Sabha arithmetic where the JD(U) has nine MLAs.

The Congress-led Opposition has suffered a huge setback in the Upper House with the resignation of BSP chief Mayawati and the refusal of CPI(M) for renomination of Sitaram Yechury.