PATNA: Hours after Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) stalwart Nitish Kumar sent ripples through the state’s political circles by saying that he saw a “conspiracy to kill me politically,” there was an embittered exchange of allegations and counter allegations between the ruling alliance and the main Opposition BJP on Tuesday.
In a meeting of MLAs of his party JD(U) at the residence of senior party colleague Syam Razak late on Monday evening, an apparently unhappy Kumar had said: “Some people are engaged in a conspiracy to kill me politically. But I am not afraid of their designs”.
The statement, being viewed as highly unlikely from a leader of proven equanimity like Kumar, was made in the context of swirling rumours and even reports in a section of the media about the chief minister cosying up to BJP.
Rubbishing all such “rumours and motivated reports,” Kumar told his party’s MLAs that he had no plans to join NDA and that he had neither met BJP national president Amit Shah nor had he spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“All these rumours and reports are baseless... I have only supported demonetisation as it is in the country’s best interests,” said the JD(U) national president, according to party MLAs attending the meeting. The candid statement to JD(U) legislators, similar to the one Kumar had made in public a day ago, had become necessary due to growing speculation about his drift towards NDA.
But Kumar’s words swiftly drew sharp reactions from BJP and a bout of sarcasm-laden oblique support from JD(U)’s ruling ally RJD, the largest party in the three-party coalition government he has been leading for a year. Such exchanges rather made matters worse for Kumar and JD(U).
“Nitish Kumar has no danger from BJP, with which he has successfully participated in governments both in Bihar and at the Centre. He certainly faces danger from RJD... He is in danger from Lalujee and Soniajee,” said senior BJP leader and PAC chief Nand Kishore Yadav.
Senior Congress leader Sadanand Singh, a former state unit chief and minister, said rumours, “even though they are in the media” must be ignored. “It is true that BJP is polluting the country’s social and political atmosphere,” he added.
“While BJP leaders are madly making statements and inviting Nitish Kumar to join NDA, it is well known that it is RJD that gave him a political rebirth. We made him the chief minister. BJP is intent on breaking up our ruling grand alliance, but we are firmly together,” said senior RJD leader Bhai Birendra.
Kumar’s frequent public endorsement of the demonetisation move has drawn enthusiastic support from NDA leaders, including Amit Shah, and even led senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and LJP chief and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan to suggest that Kumar is welcome in NDA if he “wisely” decides so.