Bihar’s political circles are abuzz with the news of strain in ties between the BJP and JD(U), giving ammunition to the opposition parties who have accused the alliance partners of cheating the people of the state.
Bihar’s main opposition party RJD said people had to bear the brunt of tension between the parties. “Though it is an internal issue of these two parties, it cannot be denied that these two parties came together to betray people of Bihar. This is why the public has to bear the brunt of political strain between these two parties," RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha told news agency ANI.
The Congress too took potshots at the JD(U), which is missing from the Union Cabinet, saying Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar could create problems for the BJP in the time to come as he had already hinted at other options available to him.
Joining the Opposition chorus, RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha said the saffron party should be ready for a “second betrayal” from Kumar. "I want to tell BJP people that Nitish Kumar has been known for disrespecting the people's mandate. Betraying people's mandate and alliance partners are his old habits...BJP people should be ready to witness 'Dhokha number 2'," Kushwaha told reporters.
The controversy erupted after the JD(U) decided not to be a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new team, rejecting BJP’s offer of only one ministerial berth. Kumar had said he refused the offer as it meant only “symbolic representation”.
In what was seen as a tit-for-tat move, Kumar expanded the Bihar cabinet with eight JD(U) leaders, while leaving only one seat for the saffron party on which the BJP still has to decide a candidate.
The rumours of trouble in the alliance intensified when BJP and JD(U) leaders skipped the Iftar party hosted by each other. JD(U)’s iftar party was organised at Haj Bhavan but no BJP leader turned up for it. The Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi also organised an 'iftar' party but all JD(U) leaders gave it a miss.
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