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BJP’s growing dominance, constant attacks leaving Nitish Kumar disgruntled?
The frequent statements of state BJP leaders targeting departments that are overseen by the chief minister or JD(U) leaders have not gone down well with Nitish Kumar, a JD(U) leader familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.
The growing grip of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar and frequent attacks by state BJP leaders against chief minister Nitish Kumar are some of the reasons cited by Janata Dal (United) leaders for Kumar to be upset with his ally.
The frequent statements of state BJP leaders targeting departments that are overseen by the chief minister or JD(U) leaders have not gone down well with Kumar, a JD(U) leader familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.
“Despite repeated requests, the central BJP leadership has not been able to tame its state leaders, who have been openly speaking against the state government. To us, it appears this is deliberate,” the leader said.
The BJP and the JD(U) had been at loggerheads over several issues, ranging from caste census to granting special status to Bihar to allowing loudspeakers at places of worship. The JD(U) had opposed suggestions by some state BJP leaders to introduce population control measures, which JD(U) said was targeted at the minority community.
The friction between the allies had risen to the extent that in March Kumar lost his cool during the budget session of the state assembly, accusing speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha of not running the House as per the Constitution.
“Would you run the House like this? We will not allow this to happen. Discussion in the House is not done like this,” Nitish told Sinha, who is from the BJP.
Sinha retorted saying he will not let the legislature be insulted. “You people have made me the speaker of the assembly. But I cannot even raise the question of my area, despite sitting on such a high chair,” he had said.
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Although peace was brokered between the two following an intervention by the BJP’s central leadership, Kumar has been insisting on Sinha’s removal. The BJP has not agreed to it.
As the BJP central leadership kept ignoring the chief minister, Kumar opened a line of communication with the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal, JD(U) leaders said. “The chief minister is upset over the way he was being attacked by Bihar BJP leaders, while the central party leadership looked the other way,” said a JD(U) functionary, wishing not to be named.
Some JD(U) leaders said that the matter of higher representation of the party in the Union cabinet is another reason for the heightened friction.
Although JD(U) national president and MP Lalan Singh denied that the JD(U) was interested in joining the Union cabinet, some party leaders said the crisis could be avoided if the BJP agreed to more ministers from the party at the Centre.
“If the BJP with 17 MPs in Bihar can get four central ministers, JD(U) with 16 MPs should get at least three,” said a JD(U) leader, declining to be named.
“When this formula was not changed in 2019, we don’t see any chance of change in policy in 2022,” a BJP leader retorted, seeking anonymity.
The JD(U) calling a meeting of all its MLAs and MPs on Tuesday was nothing but a pressure tactic by Nitish Kumar to keep BJP on tenterhooks, an expert said. “They want more berths in cabinet now to please its vote bank,” said N K Chowdhary, a political observer.
“There is no denying the fact that the BJP with 77 MLAs against 45 of the JD(U) is trying to prevail upon Kumar on key issues and even trying to impose an agenda that has placed Nitish Kumar in a discomfort zone,” said Gyanendra Yadav, associate professor of sociology at the College of Commerce in Patna. “But, in politics, nothing is as clear as it appears.”
