Just one berth for JD(U) in Union cabinet; top leaders left fuming

There was palpable anger in Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) after it became clear on Wednesday that the party was being given just one berth in the union cabinet, an offer it had summarily dismissed in 2019 and refused to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government which returned to power under Narendra Modi

There was palpable anger in Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) after it became clear on Wednesday that the party was being given just one berth in the union cabinet, an offer it had summarily dismissed in 2019 and refused to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government which returned to power under Narendra Modi.

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Though no one was willing to come on record to comment, top JD(U) leaders said the overall mood in the party was one of dejection since there has been a strong buzz that the party would get at least four berths.

R C P Singh, JD(U)’s national president, was the lone face from the party to be inducted in the union council of ministers on Wednesday when Modi reshuffled his cabinet in its biggest overhaul so far.

“It is embarrassing, disheartening… what is this? Everybody was talking of four berths and now you have to be content with just one. Then why this fuss was made in 2019 when one cabinet post was offered,” said a senior party leader, wishing not to be quoted.

“We have been humiliated,” said another JD(U) leader who is a member of Legislative Council.

In 2019, JD(U), then headed by Nitish Kumar, had refused to join the union cabinet, demanding proportional representation rather than a symbolic presence. JD (U) had won 16 out of the 17 Lok Sabha seats it contested in Bihar against 17 won by BJP and six by LJP as part of the NDA. One was won by Congress. Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha seats.

Another top JD (U) leader said the party wanted four berths and had spelt out the formula for this. “The BJP has 17 MPs in Bihar and five ministers at the centre. But JD(U) has 16 MPs and not a single minister. In such a situation, JD (U) has asked for four ministerial posts, two cabinet and two state ministers,” said a JD (U) leader, wishing not to be named. “Now we have been put at par with the LJP, which has six MPs only,” he said.

JD(U)’s state unit president Upendra Kushwaha, a former union minister, however, sought to play down the “humiliation”.

“It is prime minister’s prerogative. Our national president had only said JD(U) was going to be the part of union cabinet. Rest all is media creation,” he said.

Gyanendra Yadav, a political observer and associate professor (sociology) at Patna Commerce College, however, is of the view that JD(U) has been shown its place. “JD(U) has been reduced to the number three party (in terms of seats) after the 2020 assembly polls, yet BJP kept its word by giving Kumar the CM’s post. How long will BJP compromise after getting 74 seats in the assembly? It agreed to contest on equal number of seats (17 each) during Lok Sabha elections. It gave more seats to JD(U) to contest in assembly polls. After the poor performance of JD(U) in assembly polls, BJP has realized that the ally has been given more than it deserves. But just to keep intact social equations, the party honoured his demands,” he said.