JD-U slams Sushil Modi, says no lawmaker in touch with BJP

BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi Tuesday said over 50 JD-U legislators were in touch with his party as they were unhappy with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The ruling JD-U challenged the statement and dared the BJP to bring a no-confidence motion.

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former deputy chief minister had said the Janata Dal-United government would fall after the end of the Lok Sabha polls due to internal problems.

"Over 50 JD-U legislators are in touch with the BJP because they are unhappy with Nitish Kumar. They are also helping BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha polls to ensure their victory," he said.

Reacting to Sushil Modi's statement, Bihar Food and Civil Supply Minister Shyam Rajak challenged the BJP to bring a no-confidence motion against the state government if they have the numbers.

"I will suggest to Modi not to talk about baseless and useless things. Several BJP legislators were seen at the chief minister's election meetings whereas no JD-U legislator was seen with them," he said.

Sushil Modi said most of the JD-U's 116 legislators were against Nitish Kumar's decision to end the alliance with the BJP last year.

However, he made it clear that the BJP would not do anything to make the state government fall. "This government will fall due to its own contradictions," he said.

Rajak said Sushil Modi holds a "master's degree in propaganda" and believes in the theory of Goebbels (Adolf Hitler's propaganda minister).

A JD-U leader said BJP workers have been instructed by the party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to disturb the state government after the Lok Sabha polls.

"But we are confident that the poll outcome will prove wrong and the JD-U will perform better than expected," said a JD-U leader close to Nitish Kumar.

In 2009, the JD-U won 20 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar and its then ally BJP won 12 seats.