JD(U) supports quota bill

Fissures in the NDA today emerged over the issue of supporting the bill for quota in promotions for SC/ST with key ally JD-U "fully supporting" the bill even as the BJP is averse to its passage in the current session.

Asked about the divergence in the stand of the two parties over the issue, JD-U chief Sharad Yadav said, "They are a different political party." Yadav, who is also the convener of the NDA, said that his party will talk to the BJP leadership over the issue but made it clear there is "no NDA meeting" scheduled as yet to discuss the issue.

When told that another NDA constituent Shiv Sena has also not supported the bill, he merely said that JD-U is based on the ideology of socialist leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia and Karpuri Thakur thereby implying that that though the JD-U is in the NDA, it has somewhat different ideological moorings than other parties in the alliance.

Yadav, however, dismissed contentions of any rift in the NDA, saying it will remain intact. "There are certain issues on which we have different stands from our ally BJP but there is no division in the NDA. NDA is one and will remain intact," Yadav said while announcing that his party "fully supports the bill for providing reservation for promotion in jobs to the SC/ST."

The JD-U chief said that the Cabinet of Bihar government led by his party leader Nitish Kumar had approved such a provision on August 17 itself while the Centre is moving it now.