Amid signs of tension in the BJP-JD (U) relationship, RJD Senior Leader and former Bihar Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary said Monday that if Nitish Kumar quits the NDA and converts Tejashwi Yadav in the prime minister, the Opposition “will try to project the head of JD (U) as prime minister candidate” for the Lok Sabha 2024 polls. “
Maintaining that they are closely monitoring developments in Bihar, RJD senior leaders said it is “clear that the BJP is asserting its authority” over Nitish Kumar in the Bihar alliance as well.
Meanwhile, a day after JD (U) accused the BJP of not following the coalition dharma after six of its MLA in Arunachal Pradesh defected to the saffron party and rejected any possibility of an “anti-jihad of love ”in Bihar, the BJP on Monday appeared to go into damage control mode. MP Rajya Sabha and former MP CM Sushil Kumar Modi said that the NDA alliance is “unshakable”, and that Nitish was the “natural choice” of the NDA for the post of Bihar CM even though he “did not want to become the Minister. Principal”.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event, Sushil Modi said, “Nitish Kumar is right in saying that he did not want to become a CM. But NDA wanted him to take over. He was our natural choice for the position, we had cast him as the face of NDA CM. “
In a week of major political events in Bihar, RCP Singh has assumed the position of national chairman of JD (U) from Nitish Kumar, while senior leaders such as KC Tyagi have called for the measure in Arunachal Pradesh against the dharma of The coalition, senior leaders of JD (U) have admitted that “there is a deficit of confidence that cannot be denied.”
Nitish under pressure
Nitish Kumar has been under pressure from the saffron festival for a while. Prior to the Arunachal Pradesh incident, Bihar chief CM and JD (U) were targeted by the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and asked to hand over the interior department. This came on the heels of JD (U) ‘s poor performance in Assembly polls and subsequent speculation of a rift between the NDA’s big partners in the state.
A senior JD (U) leader told The Indian Express: “If you ask someone at JD (U), and this was mentioned in the national executive many times, they will tell you that they feel that (LJP leader) Chirag Paswan was a Representative of the BJP, which led to our defeat in many seats. Now, with this move by Arunachal, the confidence deficit has only increased … there is no danger for the government, but all is not well ”.
A senior RJD official said that from the outside, it appears that both BJP and JD (U) are “testing the waters,” but the difficulty is clear. “There is no way six MLAs can join the BJP without them calculating that reaction in Bihar. JD (U) ‘s response has been to call him verbally, but not really do anything. So the BJP is testing the limits … that’s how the malaise with the RJD started in 2016. So let’s wait and watch, ”said a senior RJD leader.
Opposition leaders such as Shivanand Tiwari from RJD and Ajeet Sharma from Congress have said Nitish Kumar must take the first step.
Another leader said the appointment of RCP Singh is a sign that Nitish wants to distance himself from “coalition management” and isolate himself in government.
One RJD leader said: “If you look at Parliament, of all the JD (U) leaders, RCP Singh is the one who supports the BJP the most.” When asked about this, the leader of JD (U) said, “That may be too much.”
Meanwhile, congratulating Singh, with whom “we have a very warm relationship,” Sushil Modi said that the episode in Arunachal Pradesh will not affect the NDA alliance in Bihar. “The BJP’s alliance with JD (U) in Bihar is unshakable. The Arunachal Pradesh issue has nothing to do with our alliance here. “
JD (U) national spokesperson KC Tyagi told The Indian Express: “We express our reservations against certain things. We still maintain that BJP did not follow the coalition dharma in Arunachal Pradesh. It was not necessary. We also made it clear that there is no law on love jihad in Bihar … As for our ties with BJP, it is very strong in Bihar. “
Manoj Jha, RJD MP Rajya Sabha said: “Mr. Nitish Kumar has been relentless in his quest for power. After leaving Mahagathbandhan he was leading a very unpopular government, something that was made clear enough by JD (U) ‘s poor performance in last month’s elections. But despite the bad mandate, he decided to claim the post of prime minister. All the organizational changes and the treatment that the BJP is giving JD (U) emanate from this contradiction. This is a clear sign that Kumar does not trust the BJP and that the BJP will not leave any opportunity to show him who is really in control. In essence, Kumar has no power or voice within the alliance. The BJP is sure that no matter what he does, JD (U) will endure slights and insults. And ultimately, the people of Bihar will have to endure the brunt of this infighting and power play within the ruling alliance. “
Jha also said there was “little to gain by looking for consistency in the JD (U)”, and that they seemed to have chosen to be “weak and irrelevant”. “There is little to be gained by seeking consistency in the intentions and actions of JD (U). What they say and do on the ground is different from what they do in the Assembly and Parliament. They must accept their subordinate position in the alliance and also forget about making gains for themselves in the future. From now on, as I said before, JD (U) is lucky to put up with an authoritarian partner who will leave no stone unturned to make JD (U) weak and irrelevant. It’s a choice that Mr. Kumar seems to have made, ”said Jha.
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