JD (U) to hold 'Sankalp' rallies from December 7 

PATNA: The JD (U) will hold 'Sankalp'  rallies at a dozen places in the state from December 7 to counter the 'baseless' charges being hurled by the BJP on chief minister Nitish Kumar and encourage people to maintain communal harmony which, the party alleged, was under threat. The rallies will conclude on February 16.

State JD (U) president Bashistha Narain Singh, on Tuesday, said, "The party rank and file will take a pledge to frustrate the designs of the vested interest to create communal disturbances and educate people to drive away such elements. The communal harmony has to be maintained at any cost."

Another pledge the party workers will take, he said, will be to continue their struggle for the special category status to Bihar. "We have already taken this pledge at Adhikar rallies in Patna and New Delhi and, now, we will pledge to take this struggle to a logical end," he added.

The decision to hold the Sankalp rallies had been taken at the party's camp at Rajgir on October 29. Singh said the CM has been requested to address all the Sankalp rallies. It will begin from Motihari on December 7 covering East and West Champaran and Sheohar districts. The next rally will be held at Purnia on December 15 covering Purnia, Katihar, Kishanganj and Araria districts.

The rallies will be held at Muzaffarpur on December 21 and Darbhanga on December 28. January 18, 2014, is scheduled for Gaya followed by a rally at Lakhisarai on January 22, at Mohania on January 25 and at Bhagalpur on January 29. A rally will be held at Gopalganj on February 1, at Saharsa on February 6 and at Begusarai on February 12. The series will conclude on February 16 with the last rally either at Patna Saheb or Fatuha.

Singh said all the MPs, MLAs and MLC of the region will attend the rallies. The JD (U), through a series of Sankalp rallies, will start its election campaign with focus on demand for special status to Bihar which, as the CM announced at Rajgir camp, will be party's main poll plank.

Trashing the claim of their former ally, the BJP, the JD (U) state chief said the BJP is concentrated only in urban areas and it has very little base in rural Bihar. He said his party is deeply rooted in rural areas and enjoys strong support of different sections of the society, mainly backwards and extremely backward class, mahadalits and minorities.

TOI Patna

*********************