After burying the hatchet with alliance partner BJP in Bihar, the JD(U) has stated that the leaders within the saffron party nursing grievances against the deputy chief minister, Mr Sushil Modi, had deepened the rift.
The JD(U) has also maintained that the Bihar chief minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, is not alone in his attempt to keep the Gujarat chief minister, Mr Narendra Modi, away from the electioneering in the state as even the former Rajsthan chief minister, Ms Vasundhara Raje Scindia, had also done the same earlier.
“There is a formidable opposition within the BJP in Bihar against Sushil Modi. They used the opportunity to host the party national executive meeting in Patna and brought the Gujarat chief minister to create a rift between the JD(U) and BJP. Sushil Modi’s opponents had also created a similar kind of crisis a couple of years, which was resolved through ballot in Delhi,” stated a senior JD (U) leader.
Mr Sushil Modi is known to have good rapport with the Bihar chief minister, which a section of Bihar BJP leaders dislike by saying that he has “mortgaged” the party to Mr Kumar.
The JD(U) leaders also stated that the political dynamics of Bihar does not require leaders like Mr Narendra Modi to campaign. “The Gujarat chief minister has a communal image. He wants a secular certificate by campaigning in Bihar. He is not wanted in Bihar, as the NDA alliance came to power on the single issue of ending the misrule of the RJD,” added the JD (U) leader.
It has been learnt that though the JD(U) is not putting any precondition to the BJP for normal relations to continue, the party leadership has referred to the example of Ms Scindia in keeping the Gujarat chief minister away from electioneering during the last Rajasthan Assembly elections. “What is wrong if we state that Mr Narendra Modi is not wanted for electioneering in Bihar. If leaders within the BJP can oppose him, then why not us,” stated the JD(U) leader.
The JD(U) leadership is sensing an opportunity to wean away the Muslim vote base from the RJD, which is also making all attempts to revive its fortune in the state.