Ahead of Bihar battle, NDA allies cross swords

The war of words between the two NDA allies – JD(U) and the LJP – seems to be getting murkier with each passing day. Close on the heels of JD(U) MP, Lallan Singh, a close aide of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, calling LJP chief Chirag Paswan ‘Kalidas’, the LJP has retorted with the same venom.

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan’s pocket organisation LJP has termed the JD(U) MP as ‘Surdas’ who could not visualise (mis)happenings around him.

The JD(U) leader’s attack on Chirag Paswan, who is the LJP national president besides being the only son of senior Paswan, came amidst the backdrop of LJP chief slamming Bihar Chief Minister in no uncertain terms over his failure in handling Covid-19, flood and migrants’ issue. The JD(U) parliamentarian drew an analogy with ‘Kalidas’ (a literary figure who cut the branch on which he was sitting) as Chirag too was attacking the same NDA (and its leader Nitish) of which he was an integral part.

“Nitish’s aide Lallan Singh is ‘Surdas’ who can’t visualise wrong-doings or has turned a blind eye towards all the ills plaguing Bihar,” said LJP leader Ashraf Ansari. “Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his interaction with CMs, stressed on the need to increase testing in coronavirus-hit States, including Bihar. This is exactly what Chirag Paswan has been demanding since ages. But all his letters to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has remained unanswered,” the LJP leader averred.

The BJP has so far not taken sides and has been watching the verbal slugfest from the fence. It is aware of the fact that all the altercations, ahead of Bihar polls, could be possibly due to seat-sharing talks which may give the LJP a raw deal.

A senior leader in the NDA told Deccan Herald that the JD(U) and the BJP may contest 105 seats each and leave the remaining 33 seats for the LJP for the 243-member Assembly. This could precisely be one reason why Chirag has asked his cadres to be prepared to contest all the 243 seats in Bihar.