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The Janata Dal (United) or JD (U) appears to be headed for troubled waters with top party leaders revolting against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Party MP Shivanand Tiwari and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh launched an offensive against Kumar and his style of functioning at the party convention at Rajgir on Tuesday.
Tiwari has accused the party leadership of ignoring him and giving preference to younger leaders. "People are trying to sideline me. I worked very hard for the party, then why such treatment? We, the old leaders, are socialists and cannot bow to the leadership and attend his durbars." He did not stop at this and praised Kumar's bête noire Narendra Modi at length. He asked the party leadership to not to underestimate the challenge posed by him. "I am an admirer of Modi. He belongs to a socially backward caste. Coming from a poor background, he worked very hard to reach where he is today. Nitish jee should not be jealous of Modi." He added that Modi's ideology is a big challenge for the JD (U) and the party leadership should not be deluded to think that it would sweep all 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state, when the party does not have solid candidates in several constituencies.
Tiwari was once considered one of the closest aides of Kumar. However, later he fell from the Chief Minister's graces and recently removed as the national spokesperson of the party as well as from the standing committee of Parliament. He, however, has the image of political rolling stone. Once a bitter rival of Lalu Prasad, he later joined his party the Rashtriya Janata Dal. He subsequently moved to JD (U) as Kumar's clout grew over Bihar.
Meanwhile, Kumar's cabinet colleague Narendra Singh attacked his own government over the Chief Minister's over-dependence on bureaucrats. "Party workers are being snubbed by the bureaucrats. Grass root workers are being neglected. I have the courage to take up this serious matter. I will raise this issue, even if it means I will be sacked," said Singh, a power Rajput leader in the state. After the break up with BJP, Singh is being said to have set his eyes on the Deputy Chief Minister post. He is said to have support of a least a dozen of legislators. At a time, when Kumar is running the government on the borderline majority, Singh can make him uncomfortable.
Although, the party leadership has termed their remarks as "political bargaining" ahead of the 2014 elections, it may also embolden other unsatisfied leaders to speak out against Kumar.
