File photo of JD(U) leader Ashok Choudhary. | Photo Credit: The Hindu
Two days after Bihar’s Rural Works Minister Ashok Choudhary made a cryptic post on social media which fueled speculations of a rift in the Janata Dal (United), Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday (September 26, 2024) appointed him a national general secretary of the party.
“National president of JD(U) and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has appointed Minister in State government Ashok Choudhary as the party’s national general secretary with immediate effect,” said a letter issued by JD(U) national general secretary and party MLC Afaque Ahmad Khan.
Mr. Choudhary, a close confidante of the Chief Minister, is a Dalit. Sources said that he was ‘upset’ after the party recently appointed another Dalit leader, Shyam Rajak, who had switched over from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, as the party’s national general secretary.
“Mr. Choudhary was appointed as the party’s national general secretary to dispel imminent crisis in the party. Just wait and watch what the coming months unfold for him in the party,” a senior JD(U) leader told The Hindu.
Party insiders said that “all is not well within the party which has been split into several camps and groups” ahead of the State Assembly election due in October-November next year.
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However, Mr. Choudhary denied that he wanted any post or was upset. Soon after his post on X, he met the Chief Minister for more than an hour. Later, he told reporters that his post was “not political, but a general one”. “How can I make a post against the leader under whom I’m working,” he asked.
“Leave them as you grow older: if someone is not understanding after explaining it once or twice, then do not explain it to those in front of you… if there is a big difference between desire and ability, then have less expectations from yourself, leave it…,” Mr. Choudhary had posted in Hindi.
The Opposition RJD latched onto the remarks and said that “this was a trailer of the rift within the JD(U)”. However, JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar dismissed the speculations.
A month ago, Mr. Choudhary had created controversy by blaming the land-owning upper caste Bhumihar community for the JD(U)‘s loss in the Jehanabad Lok Sabha seat. However, he later said that remark was made in “personal capacity”.
Published – September 26, 2024 08:28 pm IST
