The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the Bihar assembly elections a year later in alliance with the Janata Dal (United), Union home minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.
Shah’s remarks came amid speculation of a growing rift between the two partners over a range of issues, which has come to light more than once since the 2020 state elections.
“The BJP believes in coalition dharma. We are looking forward to contesting the general election and the assembly polls of 2025 in alliance with chief minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U),” Shah told reporters at Patna airport as he arrived for the conclusion ceremony of the party’s two-day national meet of its seven wings (morchas) in the city.
“The NDA alliance in Bihar is here to stay till 2024-2025,” he added.
Speaking on similar lines, BJP organisational general secretary Arun Singh said: “There is no power tussle in the alliance.”
Fault lines deepened between the BJP and JD(U) last month as the two allies traded charges against each other in the wake of attacks on BJP leaders and offices during protests against Agnipath recruitment scheme.
BJP state president and West Champaran MP Sanjay Jaiswal, whose house at Bettiah was vandalized during the protests, raised questions on the working of police, a department directly under the control of the chief minister, at a media briefing on June 18. The JD (U) countered BJP’s allegation by saying that the BJP leader “is not balanced.”
{{/usCountry}}BJP state president and West Champaran MP Sanjay Jaiswal, whose house at Bettiah was vandalized during the protests, raised questions on the working of police, a department directly under the control of the chief minister, at a media briefing on June 18. The JD (U) countered BJP’s allegation by saying that the BJP leader “is not balanced.”
{{/usCountry}}On June 28, the ruling BJP in the state was left red-faced inside Bihar assembly when the House was adjourned on account of thin attendance, with no member even of JD(U) turning up in the post-lunch session.
Meanwhile, Shah exhorted BJP workers to strive towards achieving yet another victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024 Lok Sabha polls “with an even bigger majority”, according to Singh.