ITANAGAR/PATNA: Just over a month after being reduced to BJP’s junior partner in Bihar, Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) has lost six of its seven MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh to its NDA ally.
Three of the defecting MLAs had been under suspension for anti-party activities since late November. The group of six had elected one among them, Talem Taboh, as their new legislature party leader allegedly without the knowledge of the JD(U) brass.
Bihar CM Nitish, who is JD (U)’s national president, sought to downplay the split, saying in Patna that it would have no bearing on his party’s relationship with BJP since their alliance was “confined to Bihar”. “They (the defectors) have gone their own way,” he said.