<p>It is difficult to work with Bharatiya Janata Party's new era leaders, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Monday, a day after his Janata Dal-United (JD-U) ended a 17-year-old alliance with the saffron party.<br /><br />Nitish Kumar criticised the BJP's present leadership, saying it had forgotten its senior leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani and had forced the JD-U to end the alliance.<br /><br />"BJP has forgotten its old leaders like Vajpayee and Advani, who played a major role in formation of NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and the national agenda that was prepared in the interest of all," Nitish Kumar said at a press conference here after holding his weekly Janata Darbar.<br /><br />For the first time since the inception of the Janata Darbar, Nitish Kumar held it without the BJP.<br /><br />"Vajpayee and Advani's era had ended in BJP and a new era has begun now. It was difficult for JD-U to work with BJP's new-era leaders," Nitish Kumar said.<br /><br />The fissures between the BJP and JD-U were triggered by Nitish Kumar's opposition to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP's decision to make Modi its public face for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.<br /><br />On Sunday, Nitish Kumar told Governor D.Y. Patil to sack all the 11 BJP ministers in his government for non-performance and vowed to prove his majority in the assembly Wednesday.<br /><br />Simultaneously, JD-U president Sharad Yadav announced he was quitting as convenor of the BJP-led NDA.<br /><br />Nitish Kumar Monday said that JD-U's decision to end alliance with the BJP was taken after much deliberations within the party.<br /><br />"JD-U decision was not taken in hurry. It was decided at the right time only," Nitish Kumar said. <br /><br />He reiterated that BJP is responsible for the split in the NDA.<br />"BJP forced us to end alliance with it," he insisted.</p>.<p>Nitish Kumar also disagreed with BJP leaders saying the JD-U had betrayed the people of Bihar by snapping ties. <br /><br />"The mandate was for the development of Bihar and we are doing this," he said.<br /><br />The JD-U has 118 seats in the 243-member assembly, four short of a majority, while the BJP has 91 members. There are six independents, while the Congress has four members.<br /><br />One of the oldest allies of the BJP, the JD-U is the 14th party to desert the NDA, which was formed in 1998 and ruled India for six years under the leadership of the now ailing Vajpayee.<br /></p>
<p>It is difficult to work with Bharatiya Janata Party's new era leaders, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Monday, a day after his Janata Dal-United (JD-U) ended a 17-year-old alliance with the saffron party.<br /><br />Nitish Kumar criticised the BJP's present leadership, saying it had forgotten its senior leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani and had forced the JD-U to end the alliance.<br /><br />"BJP has forgotten its old leaders like Vajpayee and Advani, who played a major role in formation of NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and the national agenda that was prepared in the interest of all," Nitish Kumar said at a press conference here after holding his weekly Janata Darbar.<br /><br />For the first time since the inception of the Janata Darbar, Nitish Kumar held it without the BJP.<br /><br />"Vajpayee and Advani's era had ended in BJP and a new era has begun now. It was difficult for JD-U to work with BJP's new-era leaders," Nitish Kumar said.<br /><br />The fissures between the BJP and JD-U were triggered by Nitish Kumar's opposition to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP's decision to make Modi its public face for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.<br /><br />On Sunday, Nitish Kumar told Governor D.Y. Patil to sack all the 11 BJP ministers in his government for non-performance and vowed to prove his majority in the assembly Wednesday.<br /><br />Simultaneously, JD-U president Sharad Yadav announced he was quitting as convenor of the BJP-led NDA.<br /><br />Nitish Kumar Monday said that JD-U's decision to end alliance with the BJP was taken after much deliberations within the party.<br /><br />"JD-U decision was not taken in hurry. It was decided at the right time only," Nitish Kumar said. <br /><br />He reiterated that BJP is responsible for the split in the NDA.<br />"BJP forced us to end alliance with it," he insisted.</p>.<p>Nitish Kumar also disagreed with BJP leaders saying the JD-U had betrayed the people of Bihar by snapping ties. <br /><br />"The mandate was for the development of Bihar and we are doing this," he said.<br /><br />The JD-U has 118 seats in the 243-member assembly, four short of a majority, while the BJP has 91 members. There are six independents, while the Congress has four members.<br /><br />One of the oldest allies of the BJP, the JD-U is the 14th party to desert the NDA, which was formed in 1998 and ruled India for six years under the leadership of the now ailing Vajpayee.<br /></p>