Will BJP mollify JD(U) with ministerial berths at the Centre?

With RCP Singh's exit from the Union Cabinet likely, JDU could revive its demand for proportional representation

Janata Dal (United) leader Ram Chandra Prasad Singh's Rajya Sabha tenure ends in July after his party refused to nominate him for re-election. Not only will Singh cease to be an MP, but he cannot remain a cabinet minister at the Centre for long. He is currently the Union minister of steel in the Narendra Modi cabinet.

Will this become another source of friction in the already strained ties between the two Bihar allies, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and JD(U)?

In 2019, the BJP and JD(U) contested the Lok Sabha elections in alliance in Bihar. They contested 17 seats each of Bihar's 40 Lok Sabha seats, with Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party contesting six. The JD (U) won 16, which was 14 more than its 2014 tally when it didn't have an alliance with the BJP. In 2014, the BJP won 22 but surrendered its sitting seats to its old ally, the JD(U), in 2019. The BJP won all 17 it contested in 2019.

In 2019, the JD(U) demanded proportional representation in the new council of ministers at the Centre. JD(U) wanted at least four ministries. But, the BJP was willing to part with only one berth as token representation. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar refused the offer, and his party, the JD(U)), did not become a part of the cabinet.

But last year, in an intriguing move, RCP Singh was sworn in as a cabinet minister, with it burying the JD(U)'s demand for proportional representation. JD(U) leaders then said RCP Singh had taken a unilateral decision without consulting Nitish Kumar. It was also insinuated that RCP Singh was more loyal to the BJP than to his parent party, the JD(U). RCP Singh soon paid the price. Nitish Kumar replaced RCP Singh as the JD(U)'s national president with his loyalist Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh.

Read | Can support Nitish for President if JD(U) snap ties with BJP: NCP

Will RCP Singh continues in the Union cabinet post-July? He has said he would await Prime Minister Narendra Modi's advice. The other question is whether the JD(U) finds a successor for RCP Singh from among the ranks of its MPs or reverts to its 2019 demand for proportional representation in the Union cabinet.

JD(U) is yet to spell out its stand, but its leaders have indicated that the party could raise its old demand again. JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar told DH, "It is still in the womb of the future. At that time, RCP Singh was the president of the JD(U), so he had taken the decision. Before him, Nitish Kumar was the national president of the JD(U) and had decided not to join the cabinet.

Neeraj Kumar's statement indicates that the current national president of the JD(U), Rajiv Ranjan Singh, could take a final call on this issue. However, unlike RCP Singh, Rajiv Ranjan Singh is known for his strong views about the BJP. Recently, he had reacted sharply to the statement of BJP state president Sanjay Jaiswal regarding the violent demonstration of youths in Bihar against the Agneepath scheme.

After attacks on the BJP offices in Bihar and on his house in Bettiah, Jaiswal had accused the Bihar government and JD(U) leaders of not reining in the violence. In response, Rajiv Ranjan Singh wondered whether Jaiswal had lost his mental balance because of the people's anger. "The Centre did not consult the JD(U) on Agneepath. So, Sanjay Jaiswal should not make unrestrained statements. It will worsen the situation," Rajiv Ranjan Singh said. Nitish Kumar remained tight-lipped on the whole issue.

Rajiv Ranjan Singh's sharp attack on Sanjay Jaiswal was an unusual development. According to sources, it could not have come about without Nitish Kumar's assent. "Unlike RCP Singh, Rajiv Ranjan is known to take a strong stand for the party's wellbeing. He is a hard bargainer," a JD(U) leader said. Rajiv Ranjan Singh is unlikely to let go of this second opportunity for the JD(U) to bargain for more berths in the Union council of ministers.

On June 24, Droupadi Murmu filed her nomination for the presidential election. The PM, half a dozen BJP leaders, and the leaders of its alliance partners, including JD(U)'s Rajiv Ranjan Singh, were present. Modi beckoned Rajiv Ranjan Singh and gave him a seat in the front row besides BJP national president J P Nadda, which triggered speculation that the BJP could be mulling replacing RCP Singh with Rajiv Ranjan Singh in the Union Cabinet.

The silence of the JD(U) over the issue suggests it is unlikely to be an easy bargain for the two allies.

(Umesh Kumar Ray is a Patna-based independent journalist)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.