NK Singh quits JD(U); sparks speculation of joining BJP

NEW DELHI: Sparking speculations of joining BJP, NK Singh on Friday resigned from JD(U). "I have resigned from JD(U). As far as joining BJP is concerned I have not decided anything, but I am in touch with BJP leaders," Singh said.

Giving reasons for his decision to leave JD(U), Singh said, "After we left NDA, our focus shifted from development politics to politics of survival."

BJP has been taking potshots at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ever since JD(U) broke out of NDA. On Thursday BJP mocked at Nitish Kumar for denying ticket to JD(U)'s sole minority MP Monazir Hasan. BJP claimed that the Muslims in the state have not taken kindly to the ruling party's decision and decided switch allegiance to NDA in the general elections.

"The Chief Minister's decision to deny ticket to Hasan, the outgoing Lok Sabha member from Begusarai has not gone well with the Muslims who have made up their mind to desert the ruling JD(U) and switch over allegiance to NDA in the general elections," the BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahanwaz Hussain said.

Hasan is not the first Muslim politician to suffer at the hands of the Chief Minister as he had eased out the then excise minister Jamshed Ashraf from his government during UPA-I and more recently pushed the then Social Wefare Minister Parveen Amanullah to quit, he said.

"Why does a Chief Minister who professes to be a votary of the minority community has been so unfair to Muslim politicians in his party?" Hussain asked.

The senior BJP leader also attacked Kumar for putting up its candidates in Bihar with a nefarious design to ensure defeat of the NDA candidates and not for the purpose of winning the seats, but refused to elaborate further.

"The JD(U) appears to be driven by zealously against the BJP and is more interested in ensuring defeat of NDA candidates than winning these seats," he said.