JD(U) dismisses AAP as a factor in Bihar

PATNA: A day after one of its leaders joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) quitting the government as well as the party, the JD(U) today dismissed the Delhi-based party as a factor in Bihar in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

"The AAP led by the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is not a factor in Bihar," JD(U)'s state unit president Bashistha Narayan Singh told reporters.

"The AAP will find it difficult to attain its success in Bihar," he said, without elaborating further.

On Parveen Amanullah joining the AAP, Singh said that it was little surprising because she had reasoned her quitting the government and party in order to concentrate on social works.

One cannot force a person to stay, Singh said defending the party's decision against going out of the way to pester her against her decision to quit the party and the government.

Amanullah, a 55-year-old social activist-turned-politician quit the JD(U) and government two days ago and joined the AAP yesterday.

About JD(U)'s preparations for the general elections, Singh said that the process for selection of candidates for Parliamentary polls will commence after the conclusion of the ongoing Sankalp rallies on February 16.

With the JD(U) appearing keen to join the third front with 11 like-minded parties ahead of the elections, the state unit JD(U) president said that his party was hopeful of forging alliance with the CPI and CPI(M).

Meanwhile, a senior BSP leader Shyam Lal Kushwaha, who had unsuccessfully contested the Buxar parliamentary seat in 2009, joined the JD(U) here.

A party hopper, Kushwaha was with the BJP and the Samata Party earlier and is perceived as an influential leader in Buxar and its adjoining districts.

The JD(U) was likely to give him ticket for the Buxar Parliamentary seat after its dissident leader and the outgoing Rajya Sabha MP Shivanand Tiwari declined the offer.