The Janata Dal (United) today termed as "ridiculous" and "a joke" the announcement by the party's rebel faction led by Sharad Yadav for holding "election to party posts" in March next year.
The JD(U)'s Bihar unit chief, Bashishtha Narain Singh, alleged the Yadav camp was trying to create confusion among the people.
"This so-called announcement is ridiculous and nothing more than a joke. It has been demonstrated over and over again that the party's cadres and all its legislators are with JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar. They are only trying to create confusion among the people," Singh told PTI.
Yadav has come out against Kumar tying up with the BJP and joining the NDA. He has joined hands with the Congress and opposition parties.
He had yesterday announced election to party posts on March 11 and released a list presidents of JD(U) units in states at a press briefing in New Delhi.
Yadav had earlier approached the Election Commission staking claim over the JD(U) election symbol.
He has been summoned by Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu on October 30 in connection with a petition filed by JD(U) leader in the Upper House RCP Singh seeking his disqualification on grounds of "defection".
On criticism by opposition parties such as the Congress and the Left that Naidu, instead of taking up the matter himself, should have referred it to the parliamentary ethics committee, the Bihar JD(U) chief, himself a Rajya Sabha member, said "this is a meaningless argument".
"Ethics committee would have come into picture if there had been a complaint against his behaviour and conduct in the House. Instead, he has in effect renounced the party itself and that too of his own accord. So the petition filed by the party and subsequent action taken by the Chairman of the House is in perfectly in order," Singh said.
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