Patna: The ongoing tug of war between the allies' partners has proved that JDU and BJP are together just to remain in power. Despite the ideological differences on several issues, the BJP and JDU have no other option except to pretend to be together. However, in reality, there is nothing good between them.
The attack and counterattack over the Agnipath scheme in Bihar have proved that Nitish is looking for a strong alibi to walk out of the alliance the way both JDU and BJP leaders attacked each other. BJP has started making direct attacks on CM Nitish Kumar raising questions over his good governance. The saffron party is handling the issue tactically and leaving no stone unturned to ensure that they blame Nitish anyhow.
BJP state unit president Sanjay Jaiswal made a direct attack on chief minister Nitish Kumar challenging his good governance image. Jaiswal leveled the serious charges on his own government alleging that had the police made an active role, the vandalism and protest could have been stopped. Jaiswal went one step further claiming that only BJP was targeted by the protesters.
It means that the state police did not act on the behest of the government led by Nitish in Bihar. BJP has been left alone in the state on the issue as two allies partners JDU and HAM led by former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi too have been demanding to withdraw from the scheme.
This is not the first time the ideological differences are seen within the NDA. Earlier also both JDU and BJP have been found singing different tunes on the same issue. Be it caste-based census, population control policy, Triple Talaq, NRC, or Uniform Civil Code both parties have expressed different views over it.
BJP has this apprehension that Nitish may go to RJD in days to come and that's the reason the saffron party has no other option but to be with Nitish for the sake of power because they too don't have the magical figure to form a government alone. This was probably the reason BJP had to stand with Nitish on the state's own caste-based census but with the condition of not counting Rohingyas and Bangladeshi Muslims.
However, in the case of the Agnipath scheme, the differences were wide open and more concrete in the public domain when BJP minister Niraj Kumar Bablu made the statement that JDU is free to go anywhere if they have any problem with the saffron party.
Looking at the present scenario, the NDA government in Bihar is on the verge of collapse as nothing is falling in the right place. Miffed with the ongoing tussle, the JDU parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha has demanded to form the coordination committee in NDA.
Also read: BJP and JDU fighting amid Agnipath protests: Prashant Kishor
During the first and second terms of Nitish Kumar, leaders like Nand Kishore Yadav and Sushil Modi used to head the coordination but it's no more visible resulting in bitter relations among BJP and JDU leaders. Amid the tug of war on the Agnipath scheme, BJP has issued a gag order to its leader not to make any harsh statement against Nitish as he is already looking out for a strong alibi to walk out of the alliance.
Even the political expert opined that Nitish is looking for an escape route so that he can dictate his own terms and conditions without any interference.
“Nitish is known for doing politics on his own terms and conditions without any interference. In 2015 he formed the government with the RJD but Lalu Yadav started making interference in the functioning of the government and that was the reason he walked out of the alliance and formed the government with the BJP. Now BJP has become the single largest party and they want lion's share in the power which Nitish does not like. Now, Nitish is looking for an escape route and proximity with RJD is the best example,” said Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Patna-based political expert.
He further said, “You must have seen that Nitish is not speaking anything and his spokespersons and state-level leaders are attacking BJP which is again the part of the strategy to make BJP uncomfortable. As of now, the relationship between JDU and BJP is at tenterhook and soon the outcome would be visible. Let's wait for some time.”
There is a political murmuring in the state capital that Nitish has already started his engineering and parallel work is going on to form the government with RJD in days to come. At present BJP is the single largest party in the assembly with 77 MLAs followed by RJD with 76 MLAs. With this number, the governor will invite BJP to form the government in case of any political turmoil in the state.
To avoid this situation, Nitish wants RJD to become the single largest party and it could be only possible if 4 out of 5 AIMIM MLAs join RJD making it their number 80. It is believed that Nitish 's JDU is making all possible effort to ensure that AIMIM MLAs join the fold of RJD so that they would be having an option to form the government after walking out of alliance.
Only time will tell what lies in the future but one thing is sure that the verbal war between JDU and BJP does not seem to be going down and will be escalating indeed. Meanwhile, RJD today launched the Raj Bhavan march under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav. Even the left MLAs also participated in the march demanding to withdraw the scheme.
RJD, JDU and HAM believe that the new recruitment policy in the military has created a sense of fear and uncertainty in the minds of the youth about their future. They also believe that the fear among the youths is not only in Bihar but across the country and it should be withdrawn immediately.
After the foot march at Raj Bhavan, Tejashwi said, “This new Agnipath scheme is MNREGA like initiative for the educated youth or it may be the hidden agenda of the RSS in it. The government talks about one rank one pension but in this scheme there is no rank and no pension. There are many doubts in the minds of the youth about this scheme and it should be cleared by the NDA led government of Narendra Modi.”
