Rajesh Kumar Thakur By

Express News Service

PATNA: It is now a foregone conclusion that Janata Dal (United), led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will not go in alliance with the BJP outside the state of Bihar in the upcoming assembly elections of four states-Haryana, Jharkhand, J&K and Delhi.

The national executive meeting of JD (U) leaders, chaired by CM Nitish Kumar, concluded with a resolve of not going in alliance with the BJP outside the state on Sunday.

Nitish Kumar said: “ All allies in NDA in Bihar are ‘intact’ but the JD(U) will go alone outside the state Bihar in the upcoming assembly elections of Haryana, Jharkhand, Delhi and J&K”. He also made it clear categorically that his party will fight assembly election in Bihar in alliance with NDA allies.

The meeting of national executive committee of JD (U) began with all leaders including poll –strategist and party’s vice –president Prashant Kishore under the chairmanship of national president Nitish Kumar.

Putting all speculations rest, the leaders of JD (U) at the meeting did not take any kind of decision against Prashant Kishore on his recent meeting with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee. Kumar has indicated on Saturday after kick-starting JDU's month-long nationwide membership drive that the party has nothing to do with Prashant Kishor’s professional dealing with TMC.

Buoyed by the victory of seven seats in recent state elections of Arunachal Pradesh out of 15 contested seats, Kumar was seen brimming with confidence and kept himself engaged in confabulation with Prashant Kishore throughout the meeting. In the recently held parliamentary elections, JD (U) as an ally of NDA in Bihar has won 16 out of total 17 contested seats while BJP and the LJP have won their total contested 17 and 6 LS seats.

In Bihar assembly, JD (U) has strength of 73 MLAs at present and has the support of BJP’s 54, LJP’s 2 and 4 independent MLAs.