Just as in 2009, when the NDA went into lok Sabha elections projecting lK Advani as its face, the JD(U) wants the BJP to categorically announce its Prime Ministerial candidate, with “impeccable secular credentials,” before the 2014 general elections too.The JD(U) also sought to clarify that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was not its Prime Ministerial candidate.
Nevertheless, the Bihar-based party made a full display of its reservations about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi even as it gave a reprieve to the BJP by calling the Congress an ‘enemy’.
However, the JD(U) leadership itself faced intrinsic queries from its State leaders at the party’s national executive meeting here on Saturday about the fate of their alliance with the BJP.
JD(U)’s positing on the Prime Ministerial candidate comes at a time when the BJP appears to be dithering on taking a call on the matter, apparently to avoid a fresh crisis within the party and prefers to stick to its stance that it has a “galaxy of leaders” capable of holding the post.
JD(U)’s view on the issue will be reflected in a political resolution that party top brass will adopt at their national council meet here on Sunday.
“Yes, we will discuss the Prime Ministerial candidate issue in our political resolution,” JD(U) chief general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP, KC Tyagi, told reporters after the meet here on Saturday.He denied that the JD(U) was setting any deadline for the BJP to take a call, as reported in a section of the Press.
Significantly, Nitish Kumar met BJP chief Rajnath Singh at his residence on Saturday, where the two leaders were understood to have held consultations on the NDA’s strategy ahead of the lok Sabha polls. During the dinner meeting, Kumar and Singh discussed ways to improve the coordination between the two parties. Kumar was accompanied by party spokesperson KC Tyagi.During the meeting, Kumar and Singh are learnt to have also discussed the NDA’s plans to rope in other parties.
However, JD(U) sources told The Pioneer that Nitish disapproves the idea of going into elections without projecting a face, as suggested by thenBJP chief Nitin Gadkari in a TV interview.
"Kumar feels this gives credence to claims of his rivals, lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan, that Narendra Modi would be eventually made the Prime Minister if NDA was voted to power," sources close to the Bihar Chief Minister said.
The JD(U) is opposed to Modi for obvious electoral reasons and the party did not miss another occasion to play to the minority gallery."Narendra Modi failed to discharge his duties as the head of the State to check communal riots in Gujarat in 2002," Tyagi said.
Having made its stand on Modi "loud and clear", the JD(U) would wait for the BJP's decision on the Gujarat Chief Minister's future. Nevertheless, the JD(U) seems vertically split with a section, also having the blessings of Nitish Kumar, favouring the idea of snapping ties if the BJP pushes the case of Modi.
They argue, JD(U) should snap ties with the BJP as its endorsement of Modi's candidature could lead to consolidation of minority votes in favour of the RJD and revive lalu's magical Muslim-Yadav combination.
However, an equally large number of party leaders, backed by Sharad Yadav, disapprove of the idea of sailing alone in Bihar. They claim the JD(U)'s electoral performance would be severely hit without the BJP, whose upper caste support base gives a cutting edge to the party, which banks on the support base of Backwards-MBCs and minorities.
Tyagi pointed out that Atal Bihar Vajpayee could return to power after a 13-day short stint only because its strength grew after it kept disputed issues like Uniform Civil Code, Article 370 in J&K and Ayodhya on the backburner.
"We will not do anything that puts a question mark on our secular credentials. Our commitment to secularism is firm. An individual is not important but the ideology is important," Tyagi said.
The JD(U) is taking relief in the fact that the BJP has yet not taken a call on the Prime Ministerial candidate issue, but is wary of an 'inordinate delay' in settling the issue.
The growing strain in the relationship between the two parties was also visible when JD(U) leaders from Rajasthan, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh complained about the BJP's refusal to adhere to the coalition dharma.
Some of them pointed out that the BJP's relationship with Akali Dal in Punjab and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra was "much smoother" than with the JD(U) in states other than Bihar.
JD(U) leaders from Rajasthan also complained about the BJP putting up rebel candidates on five seats that were given to it, as part of the agreement.All eyes would be on Nitish Kumar, who will address an open session of the party conclave here on Sunday.