NDA to protest to keep flock together

A day after the hike in petrol prices was announced by the government, the NDA finally released a programme of action to protest the move. This despite the fact that the BJP, the main constituent of the NDA, has already undertaken an independent programme of action in this regard.

The delayed reaction of the NDA to the price hike, however, is not the issue, what is important is to note that the NDA had to undertake a joint 'operation'.

According to top sources in the NDA, the protests and programmes to court arrest on June 12 were announced more to keep the flock together than anything else.

Sources confirm that Janata Dal (U) President Sharad Yadav was inclined to join the protest call given by the Left parties on June 13, rather than join the BJP's stir. "It is important to keep the NDA together on this issue and protests should be held together," said a top BJP leader.

The relationship between the BJP and the JD(U) have been less than rosy of late despite the coalition government being run by the two parties in Bihar. Sharad Yadav has made no secret of the fact that he wants to go back to the Janata Parivar days rather than stay with the Sangh Parivar.

He had recently given up a legislative council seat in Karnataka in favour of the Deve Gowda led Janata Dal (S), which had split from JD(U) on the question of supporting the NDA government in 1998.