Patna: Speculations about the BJP-JanataDal(U) alliance in Bihar suffering yet another split were put to rest Thursday with Union Home Minister Amit Shah stating that the NDA will contest the Assembly polls next year under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Leaders of the JD(U), headed by Kumar, erupted in joy as snippets of an interview given to a news channel by Amit Shah were beamed, capping weeks of bad blood between the two parties.
“The gathbandhan (coalition) is atal (unshakeable). The NDA will contest Assembly polls under the leadership of Nitish Kumar in Bihar. Nationally, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will continue to lead the coalition,” Amit Shah said during the interview.
“An-ban (bickering) is a sign of a healthy coalition. But ‘matbhed’ (difference of opinion) does not necessarily mean there is ‘manbhed’ (mental rift),” Shah added.
The statement may also comes as a disappointment to the opposition Grand Alliance which had been expecting a break-up among the BJP and JD(U). Nitish Kumar has served as the Chief Minister for three consecutive terms and the BJP – under the aggressive leadership of Modi and Shah – is planning to expand its footprints in Bihar. Hence the opposition was speculating that the two parties would split.
JD(U) national general secretary and minister Shyam Rajak came out with a flurry of tweets thanking Shah.
“I wish to thank the top leadership of BJP @AmitShah1 @narendramodi for having dispelled many doubts by speaking about fighting the next Assembly polls under the leadership of @NitishKumar. It is a slap on the face of the opposition which was enjoying (the recent bickering),” Rajak said.
“Those wishing the disintegration of JD(U)-BJP alliance will disintegrate themselves since we have forged the coalition on an idea – that is to uplift 12 crore people of Bihar to which we have been devoted,” Rajak added.
The NDA had made a clean sweep in Bihar in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, winning 39 out of 40 seats. The BJP and the LJP (party of Ramvilas Paswan) won 17 and six seats respectively, while the JD(U) succeeded in bagging 16 out of 17 that it contested.
PTI