New Delhi, Oct. 1: Coalition politics forced BJP to delete the name of its leader and the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, from the list of party leaders who would campaign during the Bihar Assembly polls. The name of Mr Varun Gandhi, the party’s Pilibhit MP, is also missing from the list which was submitted to the Election Commission. Not only this, the Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader, Mr Nitish Kumar, who had strongly objected to Mr Modi campaigning in Bihar, also told the BJP to ask its cadre not to raise the Ayodhya issue during campaigning for political gains.
“It will send a wrong message among party cadre in Bihar. Narendra bhai is one of the most sought after BJP leaders during campaigning. And the party is not sending him because Nitish Kumar doesn’t want him to be there,” said a senior party functionary. Sources said a day after Ayodhya title suit verdict was announced, the Bihar Chief Minister informed BJP that it should avoid turning Ayodhya issue into a poll plank.
The BJP, it was learnt, told its alliance partner that in Bihar the NDA coalition is contesting on development plank and for it the Ram temple issue is “an issue of faith.”
Earlier, Mr Nitish Kumar had strongly objected to Mr Modi campaigning in Bihar.