Patna: The JD(U) has begun pressing for the post of legislative council chairperson and is also seeking the induction of a JD(U) MP into the Union council of ministers in the cabinet reshuffle expected shortly, informed sources said.“During the formation of the NDA govt in April this year, there was a discussion at some level on giving the post of legislative council chairperson to the JD(U). Since the BJP had the post of CM in Samrat Choudhary and the assembly speaker in Prem Kumar, it was felt that the council chairperson’s post should go to the JD(U),” a BJP functionary said. He added that nothing has been confirmed on the issue.“What is puzzling is that no development has taken place on that count in the last five months. That it has surfaced now at this stage is even more puzzling,” he added.The JD(U) camp, however, appears determined to stake its claim to the post, currently held by BJP’s Awadhesh Narayan Singh.Three names in circulation for the post from the JD(U) side are its senior MLCs Ram Vachan Rai, Lalan Kumar Sarraf and Sanjeev Kumar Singh.Interestingly, according to BJP sources, Awadhesh Narayan Singh met Union home minister Amit Shah last month, but Shah told him to continue in the post.In a bid to create pressue on Centre, JD(U) national working president and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Kumar Jha has raised the issue of renewal of the India-Bangladesh treaty on sharing of Ganga water, which is due on Dec 12 this year. Jha said the JD(U) would oppose renewal of the treaty “tooth and nail” unless the Centre assured that Bihar’s interests would be protected.Amid growing concern over the issue, CM Samrat Choudhary and deputy CM Vijay Kumar Choudhary met Union ministers, including external affairs minister S Jaishankar, who assured them that Bihar’s interests would be considered before renewal of the treaty.Jha has been continuing party’s “Nitish Samwad” in the 12 Ganga basin districts on the issue, beginning with Buxar since Sept 5. Four days later, at Simaria in Begusarai, he said: “No matter if the govt survives or not, no compromise would be made by the JD(U) rank and file on the issue of Bihar interests.”The reference to the “govt” was interpreted by political circles as referring to either the central or state govt.The developments come as the CM has convened a meeting of BJP ministers to discuss the emerging situation. “The NDA govt is in power with the mutual consent of the constituent parties. Whatever has to happen will take place with their mutual consent,” state BJP spokesperson Prem Ranjan Patel said.Political sources said Sanjay Kumar Jha himself is in the run for the Union cabinet berth.
