Sharad Yadav skips NDA meeting on price rise

Yadav has been unhappy with the BJP for having poached his flock in several states, including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. However, the proverbial last straw in the camel’s back has been the BJP refusal to accommodate the minimal claims of the JD(U) for a seat adjustment in the current Karnataka Assembly polls. The JD(U) had cut down its demand from the initial 25 to barely 15 seats out of a total of 224, but it ended up only waiting in vain for a favourable response from the BJP. Both parties are fighting the polls on their own now.

Sources in the BJP conceded that Yadav was unhappy with the BJP over Karnataka, but they were sure the situation would not get worse. BJP parliamentary party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said though Yadav did not show up at the meeting, he had sent his suggestions and had also assured BJP leaders that he would support the decisions taken by NDA leaders.

Representatives of other parties, Shiv Sena, Akali Dal and BJD, were present. The meeting decided to call for a general strike on May 2 against the rise in prices of essential commodities. Besides, NDA MPs would form a human chain at Parliament on April 24 to highlight the price rise.

Sources in the JD(U) told The Indian Express the party, after having made its displeasure over Karnataka known, would not stretch the issue to the extreme. Therefore, it would join the proposed human chain. As for the strike and other agitational programmes, JD(U) sources were non-committal. They said the party had already drawn its own programmes and its participation in the alliance protests would depend on them.