Thaindian News

Ranchi, June 18 (IANS) The strained relations between the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and its Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally in Bihar seems to have had an impact in neighbouring Jharkhand, where some JD-U legislators cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha election Thursday.
Two JD-U legislators, Raja Peter and Sudha Chaudhary, voted in favour of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) nominee K.D. Singh instead of BJP nominee Ajay Maroo in the upper house poll. The BJP nominee managed to get only 17 votes and lost.

“The BJP has become arrogant. No BJP leader consulted us over the Rajya Sabha election and that is why we voted in favour of the JMM nominee,” Sudha Chaudhary, a JD-U legislator, told reporters here.

The BJP has taken serious note of the cross-voting.

“The JD-U did not follow the alliance dharma. In Bihar, the BJP transferred six votes in favour of JD-U nominees, but in Jharkhand the JD-U legislators voted in favour of the JMM,” a BJP leader in Bihar told IANS. “We have apprised our central leaders about the development,” he added.

The BJP Friday sent a letter to party president Nitin Gadkari apprising him about the development.

The BJP and JD-U relations got strained last week after full-page newspaper advertisements appeared in vernacular dailies in Patna showing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumar had taken exception to the advertisement.