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Congress's Jharkhand leader calls for severing ties with Rabri Devi

Congress leaders from the Jharkhand region today urged the party's state leadership to sever ties with the Rashtriya Janata Dal government in Bihar following the latter's decision to oppose the creation of Vananchal.

Senior Congress leader and AICC member from the Jharkhand region, J P Choudhary, said keeping in line with the Congress high command's stand, the party's state leadership should withdraw support to the Rabri Devi government and ensure the passage of the Bihar Reorganisation Bill in the state legislature.

Laloo Prasad Yadav, RJD chief, has vowed to prevent the bill at all costs. His party has a slender majority in the state assembly even without the support of the Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.

Choudhary said any attempt, even from within the party, to scuttle the creation of a separate state comprising 18 southern districts of Bihar, would face stiff opposition from the 14 Congress legislators from the region on the floor of the assembly during the special session, scheduled to begin from September 18.

He also hinted at the possibility of a split in the party, if the Congress leadership fails to honour the sentiments of the members from Jharkhand.

But that eventuality may not arise, because the Congress's central leadership has reiterated support to the creation of Jharkhand while supporting an economic package for the rest of Bihar.

Asked whether this decision would amount to withdrawal of support to Rabri Devi's government, since Laloo Prasad Yadav has vowed to prevent the formation of Jharkhand, CWC member Arjun Singh said support to the Jharkhand Bill in Parliament and support to the RJD government in Patna were two different issues.

UNI

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