JDU seeks special package for Bihar, names Sanjay Jha working prez

The JD(U) appointed its Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Jha as working president on Saturday.The decision was taken at a meeting of its national executive in New Delhi where the party reiterated its demand for special category status for Bihar, while adding that the Centre could also consider an alternative in a special package, its senior leader Neeraj Kumar said.The BJP ally also demanded stringent action against culprits in exam paper leak cases and called for a strong law to rule out such incidents in the future.
The party's national executive meeting chaired by its president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar flagged price rise and unemployment as "burning issues", as its political resolution expressed confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government would take more effective steps to handle them.The resolution called for extensive probe into paper leak cases to ensure stringent action against the guilty so as to maintain the credibility of central competitive exams.There is also a need for Parliament to enact a strong law against leaks of examination papers, it added.
The JD(U)'s decision to include a special package as an alternative to its historical push for special category status for Bihar marked a pragmatic climbdown as the Modi government had cited the 14th Finance Commission's report to rule out special category status for any more states.Following his appointment, Jha said his party's purpose was to get central assistance for Bihar to build on the foundation laid by the Kumar-led government since 2005, except for a short period when Jitan Ram Manjhi was chief minister.
Another resolution passed at the national executive stressed on the need for strengthening the party's organisation in states going to assembly polls, while mentioning Jharkhand. It noted that JD(U) candidates had contested and won elections in the state. It will seriously work on its election strategy and put up candidates there, the resolution said.Sources said the JD(U) would nudge the BJP to leave a few seats for its candidates.