The Bihar BJP continues to grapple with the challenge of growing dissension within the party and the State party leadership — including former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi — admitting that one or two party MlAs could shift their loyalty to the JD(U) in lust of getting ministerial berths in the Nitish Kumar Cabinet.
At least four BJP MlAs —including suspended BJP MlA Amarnath Gami, Rana Gangeshwar Singh, Vijay Kumar Mishra and Awanish Kumar — have reportedly ganged up against the alleged dictatorial style of functioning of Sushil Modi.
While Mishra dubbed the suspension of Gami from the party as unjustified, Rana Gangeseshwar Singh viewed Nitish worthy of becoming PM.
Awanish Kumar told newspersons that Sushil Modi should accommodate sentiments of all party leaders and workers before taking any decision. Modi told The Pioneer in Patna that Nitish Kumar who claims himself a man of principles is trying to effect split in other parties after he snapped the JD (U)’s ties with the BJP.
“Nitish is openly tempting them with huge moneybags, membership in the State legislative Council and Ministerial berths to cause a split in the BJP,” Modi claimed.
Terming the entire political situation in the State a “T-20 match”, he said that wickets will fall down from the JD (U) side too if the wickets fall in the BJP camp. The Former Deputy Chief Minister claimed that at least two dozen JD (U) MlAs are in touch with the BJP and waiting for the right time to make a final call.
Stating that the State has entered into the phase of political instability, he also alleged that the Nitish Kumar Government has plunged into minority after the BJP came out of the Government. He said that the four Congress MlAs who supported the Nitish Kumar Government at the time of voting on the Confidence Motion in the State Assembly last month, had not given anything in writing to the Governor so far. “The Nitish Kumar Government is on knife edge after the BJP was ousted from the Government in an unceremonious manner,” he added.
“If Nitish Kumar has the courage, he should attempt expanding his Cabinet and will himself witness how the JD (U) MlAs are quitting party in disgust,” he commented.
State BJP president Mangal Pandey told newspersons in Patna on Monday that the JD (U) should not attempt creating a false impression that MlAs of various parties want to join the party. He claimed that several JD(U) MlAs are in touch with the BJP leadership and they will join his party once they are not given the Ministerial berths in the Cabinet expansion.
The State BJP president said that Nitish is indulging in all types of tactics — including horse trading to “stabilise” his Government in the post-split situation. On meeting between senior BJP leaders — including Modi, Dharmandra Pradhan, Shahnabaz Hussain, CP Thakur, Radhamohan Singh, Nand Kishore Yadav, Chandramohan Rai and Pandey himself with the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in Patna on Monday, the State BJP president said that all of them had assured Bhagwat of Bihar giving a “very good strength” to the BJP in the 2014 lok Sabha election.
Meanwhile, senior JD (U) leader and State Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh claimed that at least 40 BJP MlAs are in touch with his party’s top leadership and they can join the party at an appropriate time.