Is The BJP-JDU Govt In Bihar On Verge Of Collapse
The Janata Dal United (JDU) may shortly declare its split with alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party, putting the coalition government in Bihar in danger of dissolving according to various sources.
Along with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Left Front, and the Congress, the Nitish Kumar-led JDU plans to form an alternative administration.
Due to the lack of support for midterm elections among most MLAs, an alternative alliance is being put together.
Nitish Kumar’s party, the Janata Dal (United), has accused the BJP of trying to undermine the Chief Minister’s hold over his party.
There are reports that at a meeting tomorrow of its legislators, the JDU leadership will present MLAs who have reportedly been approached by the BJP to switch sides.
At a meeting today with Tarkishore Prasad, who is the deputy Chief Minister and from the BJP, Nitish Kumar reportedly said “there’s nothing serious” in the context of the headline-generating conflict.
But his party is going hard at the BJP, accusing it of working against Nitish Kumar in the general election last year, and of disrespecting allies. Nitish Kumar’s aides are citing, as proof, the recent comment by BJP boss JP Nadda, who said “Only the BJP will remain, regional parties will disappear.”
Sources close to the Chief Minister say he’s not in any mood to be placated; tomorrow, he will meet with all his MLAs or legislators to decide on what happens next. An early reading has reportedly convinced him that MLAs are not willing to face mid-term elections and would prefer a new alliance over that prospect.
Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD, will offer support to Nitish Kumar should he dump the BJP, the Opposition party said today. The RJD has recently become the single-largest party in Bihar. The combined strength of the RJD, the Chief Minister’s JDU, and the Congress, is large enough to form the government.
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Nitish Kumar’s anger, say sources close to him, rests mainly in what he perceives as a concerted attempt by Union Minister Amit Shah to “remote control” Bihar. To register his protest, Nitish Kumar has skipped several key meetings called by Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Yesterday was the most recent of these boycotts – he did not attend the PM’s meeting with all Chief Ministers, claiming to be unwell, but was present at two government functions in Patna.
Nitish Kumar has these key demands for the BJP: more union ministries (his party had been allocated one, which was given to RCP Singh) and that elections for Bihar be held along with the next general election in 2024 (instead of a year later).
In an attempt to make good, Amit Shah in a recent trip to Patna said that Nitish Kumar would be the face of their alliance in the next state election; rebuffing that gesture, yesterday, Lalan Singh of the JDU said any plans for the next election remain undecided.
Nitish Kumar will deliberate on whether, in the next general election, he can take on PM Modi in Bihar at a time when the PM’s approval ratings are seen as immensely high. He also wants a larger say in determining who the BJP appoints as ministers in Bihar.