With the 2014 general election just two years away, a tussle is developing within the NDA on who will get the top job if it manages to lead the government.
While the RSS and some BJP leaders are projecting Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is in no mood to shed his prime ministerial ambitions.
A day after Mr Modi targeted Mr Kumar saying “casteist” leaders had pushed Bihar back to economic backwardness and that “Gujarat will never be another Bihar”, Mr Kumar hit back Monday: “Bihar par tippani karne walon ko apne halaat ke bare me sochana chahiye (One should think about his own situation before commenting on Bihar).” In New Delhi, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav took a dig at Mr Modi, and said “Gujarat has progressed because of its history and geography”. He added “no individual should try to take credit for Gujarat”.
Most BJP leaders in Bihar kept an uneasy silence on the remarks by both CMs. Vocal Bihar BJP ministers like Ashwni Kumar Cho-ubey and Giriraj Singh sp-oke in conciliatory terms, in contrast to their strong support for Mr Modi in recent months.