Maharashtra unit of JD(U) will continue to be part of I.N.D.I.A bloc: Kapil Patil

'The political arithmetic of Maharashtra is different from that of Bihar. The situation is different here,' Patil said.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra unit of the Janata Dal (United) will continue to be a part of the opposition's I.N.D.I.A bloc, a state leader said here on Tuesday.

JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Sunday took oath as chief minister of Bihar for a record ninth time after a dramatic volte-face, ditching the I.N.D.I.A grouping and forming a new government with the BJP which he had dumped less than 18 months ago.

Party general secretary and Member of Legislative Council Kapil Patil said here that the state JD(U) will continue its link with the INDIA bloc. As a JD (U) leader in Maharashtra and the party's National General Secy, Patil had criticised Bihar CM Nitish Kumar"s decision to go with BJP.

"We have communicated our decision to our top leadership," he told reporters here.

"The political arithmetic of Maharashtra is different from that of Bihar. The situation is different here. We wish to continue our alliance with the I.N.D.I.A bloc. We have asked for the Lok Sabha seat of Buldhana (during seat-sharing talks)," Patil said.