Even as Bihar’s ruling JD(U) is gearing up its district-level units in the state in preparation for the imminent Assembly polls, incidents of rowdy acts and violence at its workers’ meetings in presence of senior leaders over three consecutive days have brought acute embarrassments to the party.
An eruption of violence among JD(U) workers during a meeting in Nawada on Monday almost shattered the party’s constant claims of being a disciplined organisation different from Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD. The first incident of a public free-for-all was at Munger in presence of JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav on Saturday, followed by a similar ugly display of muscle power in Motihari on Sunday.
JD(U) sources said the basic reasons behind the three consecutive incidents of violence were the many divisions and rivalries in the party’s district units and an uncontrollable desire among JD(U) leaders to bag party tickets for the Assembly polls, scheduled in November.
The Munger incident, which left about a dozen JD(U) workers injured during a bout of fisticuffs and wild hurling of chairs at the meeting venue, was witnessed by party MPs Shivanand Tiwary and Monazir Hassan and Bihar minister Sribhagwan Prasad Kushwaha, apart from Sharad Yadav.
Sources said the clashes originated from simmering rivalries between the supporters and opponents of Monazir Hassan within the JD(U). Some JD(U) leaders, however, also blamed former Bihar chief of the party, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, for the clashes.
Thirty JD(U) workers sustained injuries at the clashes at the Motihari workers’ meeting on Sunday in presence of party MPs Ali Anwar, Upendra Kushwaha and several senior state-level leaders.
Trouble started when rival groups of JD(U) workers supporting and opposing party MLA Sheoji Rao’s candidature in the coming polls tried to interrupt the meeting.
Several vehicles were damaged and senior JD(U) leaders had a hard time pacifying the irate workers.
The Nawada incident on Monday occurred in presence of JD(U) state president Vijay Chaudhary along with several top state party leaders.
Former minister and senior JD(U) leader Shyam Razak described the clashes at the workers’ meet as a “minor interruption”.
But JD(U) insiders said the three incidents have got chief minister Nitish Kumar worried about a battering of the ruling party’s image just before the polls.