BJP-JD(U) split has brought smile on the face of the beleaguered RJD chief lalu Prasad, who claimed the alliance between the two was unholy.
“The untimely break-up between the JD(U) and the BJP has exposed their unholy alliance...It is a divorce of love marriage between two mismatching partners,” Prasad said.
The RJD chief taunted Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar for committing “sati” in favour of BJP leader lK Advani, whom he described as a “discarded leader”. “When Advani was sidelined by the RSS in favour of Narendra Modi, he played this card and asked JD(U) to threaten NDA coalition,” he said.
Making a scathing attack at his rival, Prasad reiterated that Kumar’s opposition to Narendra Modi was “eyewash” aimed at cornering votes of minority Muslims. “Why did you not resign in 2002 after riots like Ramvilas Paswan didIJ” he asked referring to Kumar.
NDA constituent Shiv Sena termed as unfortunate the decision of the JD(U) to break away from the BJP-led alliance and said the hasty move will benefit the Congress. Shiv Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, told reporters that the NDA will be at a loss due to this decision and it will benefit the Congress. “If my party wants, I am willing to speak to JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav,” Raut said.
Shiromani Akali Dal’s patron Parkash Singh Badal said his party was “solidly” behind the BJP, and does not believe in “interfering” in their internal matters. The five-time Punjab Chief Minister asserted, “Akalis were with the BJP solidly and will continue to be so”.
Badal claimed that all will shake hands with the BJP after the general elections. “Though every party, including JD(U), has its own interest uppermost in its mind, yet all will shake hands with the BJP after the general elections,” he told reporters at Khatti here.
The Samajwadi Party said the move will propel the process of strengthening anti-Congress, anti-BJP formations ahead of the next lok Sabha polls. “The split in NDA between the JD(U) and the BJP will weaken the communal forces of the country. This split will provide leverage to the move of building an anti-Congress, anti- BJP platform ahead of the next lok Sabha polls and provide alternative policies to the anti-people machinations of Congress and BJP,” general secretary Kiranmoy Nanda said.
Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the BJP needs to figure out whether Narendra Modi can deliver as many seats
which the NDA seems to be losing with a key partner leaving the alliance.
“There was always this possibility that with the elevation of Narendra Modi, some of the allies in the NDA would be extremely uncomfortable. I believe now the challenge for the BJP is, as they gradually lose allies, they will have to figure out whether Narendra Modi can deliver that many seats. Because if not, then their (BJP) dream of occupying the Treasury benches in Parliament will remain unfulfilled.”