Ahead of 2014 elections, Nitish-Modi feud looks set to leave NDA a divided house

JD(U) to step out of alliance if Modi projected as PM candidate, Bihar CM tells party

Irked by Narendra Modi's growing influence within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - his prime ministerial ambitions no longer hidden - Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has told his party members the Janata Dal (United) would step out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) if the Gujarat chief minister is projected as the prime ministerial candidate.

Kumar has already asked BJP to name NDA's PM candidate before going for the Lok Sabha elections. Known to be a Modi critic, Kumar had vehemently opposed the Gujarat CM's efforts to enter Bihar.

Senior leaders said Kumar believed Modi was involved in divisive politics and JD(U) should be ready to form state government on its own in Bihar, if BJP chose to promote Modi.

A large section of his party has been pushing Kumar to snap alliance with BJP, since JD(U) has the required numbers to go it alone and form a government in Bihar.

"The two-day national executive over the weekend is being held in Delhi to send a strong message that JD(U) will not accept Modi's name for the top post. Senior JD(U) leaders will discuss the country's current political situation and NDA's future course of action," said a senior JD(U) member close to Kumar.

During earlier discussions with several senior members of his party, the Bihar CM had said JD(U) did not have any problem with BJP and the alliance had served both the parties well in the 16-year association. The BJP-JD(U) alliance has been in government in Bihar (which has 40 Lok Sabha seats) for the past seven years.

Though JD(U) President Sharad Yadav doesn't want the alliance to fall apart, party leaders indicate the final decision will be taken Kumar.

Aware of Kumar's stand on the issue, senior BJP leaders from the state concede that the Bihar CM could move out of the alliance if Modi was projected as NDA's PM candidate. Instead, Kumar has been known to be in favour of L K Advani - NDA's PM candidate in the 2009 elections - as the contender for the top job.

Senior Bihar BJP leaders think anti-Modi stance could be to secure the 16 per cent share in minority votes, besides ensuring this chunk of votes does not sway in favour of Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal or the Congress party.

Given that the Bihar CM was recently seen gathering support of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik as he demanded special benefits for all the three states, BJP leaders don't deny Kumar's own prime ministerial ambitions, either.

During his party's rally in Delhi on March 17, Kumar had said JD(U) would play a crucial role in government formation after the 2014 elections.