The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one of the ruling alliance partners in Bihar, is treading cautiously and keeping an eye over the fast-changing political developments in the state.
The saffron camp is more worried after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held another round of meeting with Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, the second such meet with the RJD leader in the last 48 hours.
Though the meeting, which took place in the office of the Assembly Speaker Vijay Choudhary, was described as a “courtesy visit”, the BJP feels “there is something more than meets the eye.”
Though what transpired between Nitish and Tejashwi was not immediately known, Tejashwi, however, put a lid on speculations by saying, “If Arvind Kejriwal can meet Amit Shah, why can’t I meet Nitish Ji? Please don’t read too much into such courtesy call.”
The second meeting between Nitish and Tejashwi (the first one took place after a gap of three years in the CM’s chamber in the Assembly on Tuesday on a day when a unanimous resolution was passed in the House against NRC/NPR), comes on a day when the grapevine is abuzz with numerous theories, including possibly another somersault by the JD(U) chief in the near future.
“What’s wrong if Nitish Kumar wants to return to the Mahagatbandhan? Is there a bigger face than him for the Chief Minister’s post,” said former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, who, after his expulsion from JD(U), now heads Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM).
The RJD sources, however, categorically ruled out any possible alliance between the JD(U) and the RJD, but the Congress was more forthright.
“Can anyone question Nitish Kumar’s secular credentials? By passing a resolution against NRC and NPR, Bihar has become the first NDA state to oppose NRC and back the UPA-era NPR of 2010,” said senior Congress legislator Awadhesh Singh, who, till July 2017, was Nitish’s Cabinet colleague in the Grand Alliance Government.
The statements by Mahagatbandhan leaders are giving anxious moments to the BJP MLAs who, a day ago, had said, “We were kept in the dark when the resolution against NRC/NPR was moved in the Assembly.”
The saffron camp’s angst against Nitish is quite understandable as NRC/NPR was going to be BJP’s main poll plank for the ensuing Bihar Assembly elections this October-November.