NEW DELHI: The uneasy calm within the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar deepened on Wednesday after the Janata Dal (United) [JDU] openly challenging its senior ally, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), to declare Nitish Kumar as the NDA’s chief ministerial candidate.
The sharp reaction came in response to what JDU leaders described as the BJP’s “calculated attempt” to side line Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while promoting other allies, including Lok Jan shakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan, in ticket distribution.
Party insiders revealed that although the JDU had not officially raised this demand through a press conference, discussions over the BJP’s growing assertiveness had been ongoing within the party’s internal forums for weeks. The latest developments, they said, were triggered by BJP’s reluctance to project Nitish Kumar as the undisputed face of the NDA campaign in Bihar.
Senior JDU MLC and spokesperson Neeraj Kumar, in a pointed statement, said, “The BJP cannot dictate who will be the next Chief Minister of Bihar. For us, this question is meaningless as we have reiterated several times that Nitish Kumar remains the undisputed leader of the state. The decision regarding his retirement or succession rests solely with him.”
Neeraj Kumar’s remarks reflect growing unease within the JDU over the BJP’s recent electoral maneuvers, which are perceived to have marginalized Nitish Kumar’s leadership.
BJP’s outreach to smaller allies, coupled with its control over ticket allocation, has reportedly sparked discontent among JDU ranks, where leaders feel their senior partner is undermining their relevance in the alliance.
Sources within the JDU further indicated that “all options are open” after the election results are declared. One senior leader remarked that any post-poll decision would be taken “in the interest of Bihar’s welfare and the party’s long-term strength,” hinting at possible realignments if relations with the BJP continue to deteriorate.
Meanwhile, top NDA leaders in Delhi and Patna are reportedly adopting a “wait and watch” approach, hoping to contain the friction until the election results are out. However, the JDU’s latest salvo signals that the alliance is entering the Bihar polls under a cloud of mutual suspicion and leadership uncertainty—an unsettling scenario for a coalition that has ruled the state for nearly two decades.
(Writer is Senior Journalist and Political Commentator)
Umakant Lakhera is a Senior Journalist and Political Commentator
