PATNA: Just a day after being dropped from the list of star campaigners for JD (U) ahead of Delhi Assembly polls, party's national general secretary and former Rajya Sabha MP Pavan K Varma created an awkward moment for Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's by seeking 'ideological clarity' from him over alliance with BJP in an open letter.
Varma’s letter to Nitish Kumar evoked stern reactions from his party – JD (U) as well as BJP.
Expressing his perplexion over alliance with the BJP for the Delhi Polls, Varma wrote: “I must confess that I am deeply perplexed by this development and look to you (Nitish Kumar) for ideological clarity on more than one occasion, you have expressed your grave apprehension about the BJP-RSS combine.”
Recalling a meeting of his with the Chief Minister in 2012, Varma further wrote: “In my first meeting with you in Patna in August 2012, even before I had formally resigned from IFS, you had spoken to me at length and with conviction on why Narendra Modi and his policies are inimical for the country."
He stated that there was an urgent need for the JD (U) to harmonize what the party’s Constitution said, what the leader of the party feels in private and what actions the party takes in public.
“Politics, as you have emphasised to us, must be about principle and the courage of conviction,” Varma said hoping to get some 'ideological clarity' from Nitish Kumar's side.
Peeved at his party’s move to contest the upcoming Delhi polls alliance with BJP, Varma stressed on the need of for ‘democratic and socialist forces within the country to regroup'.
The most damaging revelation made by Varma, however, was that the Bihar CM had privately confessed to him on how BJP's current leadership made him feel 'humiliated' and how he (Nitish Kumar) wanted an 'RSS mukt Bharat'.
Prior to this, Varma had shot-off another such letter to Nitish Kumar on January 5 urging him to reject the CAA-NPR-NRC scheme.
Responding to Varma's tell-all, Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, spokesperson of JD-U in Patna said: “Varma is a senior leader of party. The seat-sharing issue related to alliance with BJP has been decided by the top leadership of the party after proper consultation. Varma should avoid such kind of move that causes embarrassment to party’s decision”.
BJP also reacted to Sharma's letter asking him to not ‘present hypothesis to create fear psychoses.
Nikhil Anand, BJP spokesperson in Patna, said: “The seat-sharing between NDA for Delhi elections shows the rapport among the top leaders of NDA allies. Varma ji should not have written letter in pubic and rather discussed it on party forum.”