Cracks appear in Bihar BJP ahead of state executive meeting

Cracks have appeared in ruling BJP ahead of the crucial two-day state executive committee meeting starting tomorrow with some key leaders holding a meeting here today and are believed to have decided to boycott it.
The state executive committee meeting to discuss organisational matters will be inaugurated by Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley.
The leaders, who met at the residence of senior party leader and former Chairman of Legislative Council Tarakant Jha, are angry over "hijacking" of the party by a group led by Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, party sources said.
Those who went to Jha's residence included former Union Minister C P Thakur, Animal Husbandry Department Minister Giriraj Singh, Deputy Speaker Amrendra Pratap Singh and senior party leader Satnarayan Arya.

Asked about the purpose of the meeting, Thakur told reporters that he had gone to see an ailing Jha. He, however, was non-committal over attending the meeting tomorrow. "There is still 12 hours left for the meeting," he said.
Giriraj Singh also said he would attend meeting only if he is in Patna.
Thakur, Singh and others have strongly protested constitution of new team led by state BJP President Mangal Pandey, said to be close to Sushil Kumar Modi. The new state BJP team consist mostly of Modi supporters while the sulking leaders have not been given much importance.
Thakur and Singh have been also strong supporter of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and have taken a stand backing him on several occasions.