JDU and BJP in a Political Crisis

These days, Bihar’s politics is becoming more heated. Nitish Kumar and Sonia Gandhi have reportedly had a protracted talk, according to information obtained from sources.

With reports of a new dispute with its ally BJP, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) supremo and Bihar CM convened a meeting of all party lawmakers and parliamentarians on Tuesday, August 9. The change occurs just after a prominent JD(U) leader declared no party member will join the Union council of ministers. While the party leader simultaneously denied any disagreement with the BJP.  

According to the reports, yesterday Nitish Kumar snubbed a crucial NITI Aayog meeting that was convened after 2 years. The meeting was presided over by PM Narendra Modi as the Chairman of the Aayog. He was one among the select few CMs that skipped the meeting.  

Meanwhile, a piece of significant news has emerged about Nitish Kumar, the CM, speaking over the phone with Sonia Gandhi. She is the president of the opposition party at the center, the Indian National Congress. In the middle of all of this, it is being questioned if the animosity between the BJP and JDU has grown.   

The Stance of Nitish Kumar 

Earlier, Nitish Kumar had also missed President Droupadi Murmu’s swearing-in as the NDA’s choice last month. Prior to that, on July 17, Kumar sent Tarakishore Prasad in place to a conference of chief ministers. The conference was set to address matters pertaining to the national flag by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah.   

Although there was no formal explanation for Kumar’s absence, the JD(U) leader reportedly excused himself due to post-COVID concerns. And according to a PTI report the information was obtained from sources close to the chief minister. However, he went to a gathering in Patna, the capital of Bihar, where BJP leaders Tarakishore Prasad and Syed Shahnawaz Hussain were invited. 

According to the speculations of those with direct knowledge of the situation, the JD-U is considering creating an alliance with the RJD. It is also mulling over reviving its relations with Congress, and the Left Front. The speculations are in order to maintain its hold on power in the state. A meeting of all party MPs and MLAs was summoned by Nitish in Patna today in response to these reports. According to sources, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), another ally of the NDA, has also summoned a conference to address the present political climate in Bihar. 

What other JDU Leaders said

RCP Singh, who was earlier thought to be close to Nitish Kumar, resigned from the party a day ago after corruption claims were made against him. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Center featured only Singh from the JD(U) earlier. However, he was also forced to resign after Nitish Kumar barred him from serving another term in the Rajya Sabha. After leaving the gathering, RCP Singh referred to JD(U) as a ship in trouble.  

Shortly after, JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan lashed out at the former leader RP Singh. He further declared that the JD(U) is not at all a sinking ship, but a sailing one. As per him, some people are attempting to harm it, but Nitish Kumar was able to spot them and take action to fix it.  

The JD(U) MP reiterated that RCP Singh may have quit the party only yesterday when questioned about RCP Singh’s departure from the party. However, his soul was gone for a time while his body remained at the organization.  

Lalan stated to have resolved to not join the government at the Centre back in 2019, following the elections. He said this when asked about recent revelations regarding representation in the Union Council of Ministers.  

“We stick to that stand even now… The decision not to join the Union government was taken by our leader Nitish Kumar who was then also the party’s national president.”