JD(U) pushes for ‘proportionate representation’ in Cabinet

Bharatiya Janata Party’s ally JD(U), which had refused to join the Narendra Modi government in June 2019, on Wednesday (October 30) pushed for “proportionate representation” for the party in the Union Cabinet, saying it will welcome the move if Modi or BJP president Amit Shah takes an initiative to this effect.

Shortly after Nitish Kumar addressed his party’s national council following his re-election as party president for a fresh three-year term, the JD(U) reminded the BJP that the Bihar chief minister has given the saffron party a proportionate representation in the State government.

Briefing reporters on Kumar’s speech, JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi noted that the mandate of the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls was “against” the BJP but Kumar conceded to the post of deputy chief minister besides sharing ministerial berths.

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“If NDA leaders Modi and Shah take an initiative for the JD(U)’s proportionate representation in the government, we will welcome it,” Tyagi said, noting that his party is the biggest NDA constituent in Bihar.

An adequate representation of JD(U) will make Bihar more representative in the Union government, he said, adding that it will be socially more broad-based and cohesive.

The BJP had offered one berth to each of its ally following its landslide win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The JD(U) had sought at least three ministerial berths.

(With inputs from PTI)