All's not well with BJP-JD(U) alliance in Bihar

The widening rift between JD(U) and the BJP — the ruling alliance partners in Bihar — seems to be intensifying by the day.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy, BJP’s Sushil Kumar Modi did not see eye-to-eye today during the swearing-in ceremony of the new Chief Justice of the Patna High Court at the Raj Bhawan.

Modi had on Sunday snubbed Kumar and opted out from a meeting where he had to share the dais with the CM. Modi had decided to stay away after Kumar returned a relief sum of Rs 5 crore for the Kosi flood victims from the Gujarat government.

The Congress in Delhi is keeping a close eye on the development as the NDA alliance, led by the BJP, seems to be falling apart. A party spokesperson said the “partners of the NDA has decided to distance itself from the BJP”.

However, it has not decided to any tie-up with JD(U). “Nitish Kumar might try to snap ties with the BJP but he still remains answerable to the people and reply why he enjoyed power with the BJP for the past four-and-a-half years,” Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari told reporters.

Nitish Kumar, however, tried to play down the differences today. Before leaving Patna for his “viswas yatra”, he told reporters, “You should all relax. Everything is fine.”

State JD (U) chief and close aid of Kumar, Vijay Kumar Chowdhary told Business Standard, “Our alliance is more than 15 years old. We fought our first elections together in 1995 and have been very close since. We were and we remain partners.” When asked about the recent spat, Chowdhury said, “It should not have had happened. However, it is not going to affect our partnership.”

On the other hand, opposition leaders had condemned both the JD(U) and the BJP. State congress leader Premchand Mishra said, “It is a conspiracy of both JD(U) and BJP to get close to minorities. But they will not succeed. If Nitish Kumar is so secular, then why does his council of ministers have four members who participated in the destruction of Babri Masjid as karsevaks.”

LJP supremo Ram Vilas Paswan said, “The JD(U) should not indulge in any drama. If Nitish Kumar thinks of the BJP as a communal party, then he should immediately go to the Raj Bhawan and resign.”