Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Chasm widening between JD (U) and BJP

If the tone and tenor of the comments made by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on what kind of Prime Ministerial candidate should be from NDA is any thing to go by, it is certain that the gulf between JD(U) and BJP in National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is widening. His view gets strength from his approach towards building consensus around UPA’s Presidential Candidate Union Finance Minister Pranab Mulherjee. By advocating for prime ministerial candidate of secular credentials in the NDA, Nitish Kumar has established himself as leading secular political leader throughout his political innings so far even in the company of doubtful secular credentials. First of all, NDA finds itself in a fix what to do or what not to do in regard to nomination of its presidential candidate against the UPA presidential candidate Union Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee. BJP being the leader of NDA has completely failed to bring round all its alliance partners to a unanimous view to fight presidential elections and show the consolidation of opposition parties in view of the Lok Sabha elections in 2014. But in view of the towering political and administrative stature of UPA Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee, even the alliance partners of NDA like JD(U), Shiv Sena and Akali Dal are favouring the consensual approach towards him. Bihar Chief Minister and top ranking JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar has hinted clearly that NDA’s prime ministerial candidate should be of secular credentials. His comments would likely to spell fresh trouble for BJP-JD(U) alliance because he has given a thumbs down to his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi. Even as differences over the Presidential election continue to simmer between the two, Kumar has made comments which are contradictory to his ally's views. Nitish Kumar’s clear hint that Modi--who is being touted as the first choice of BJP for Prime Minister's post--does not fit the bill. Differing with the BJP view that the Prime Minister will be chosen after the Lok Sabha elections, he has also rightly said that the NDA will have to declare its nominee. The electorate should know who they are voting for and who will lead the country. The NDA should have a leader who can feel for the underdeveloped states like Bihar. Nitish has expressed his view against choosing someone who represents the developed states. He is clearly hinting against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.Though Kumar has not named anybody, he was apparently referring to Modi, with whom he does not enjoy a healthy relationship. Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi had a war of words recently when Kumar attacked Modi for saying Bihar had lagged behind due to caste politics. Kumar had then said Modi is like the pot calling the kettle black. Nitish said, “One whose hands are full of communalism does not have the moral right to malign others for casteism,"

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