Sharad Yadav denies talk about joining NDA, slams Ram Vilas Paswan

NEW DELHI: JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav on Wednesday denied speculation of him joining the NDA in near future. He also lashed out at LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan for stoking such speculation and asked if the food minister was his spokesperson.

"Is Paswan my spokesperson? Who is he to issue statements on my joining NDA. If I have to join NDA, I would not do it secretly. All these things are a figment of imagination of some people in the NDA," Yadav told TOI.

Paswan had on Monday indicated that Yadav may join NDA as the JD(U) was on the verge of disintegration. Paswan had said, "There is a likelihood of elections in Bihar by November or December this year. JD(U) is going through internal strife. Even Sharad Yadav is reported to join NDA soon and he has not denied it."

The speculation had been ignited first by Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha last month. While addressing the media in Delhi, he said he had learnt from discussions within the NDA that Yadav was joining the saffron alliance. He had said, "You should not be surprised if Sharad Yadav joins NDA in the near future."

Specualtion about Yadav gained momentum after JD(U) suffered a severe drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha polls. While its tally was reduced to just two seats, even Yadav lost in his constituency. In fact, after Nitish Kumar resigned taking responsibility of the poll debacle, the former Bihar CM's supporters blamed Sharad Yadav for the development and heckled him in Patna.

Sources say Sharad Yadav had always been reluctant to support Nitish's move of splitting with the BJP in the run-up to the 2014 polls and is learnt to have held the decision responsible for the debacle. Yadav was recently elected to Rajya Sabha with help from RJD in the face of stiff opposition put up by BJP and rebel JD(U) MLAs.