BJP flip-flops on Modi role amid JD-U threat
The Narendra Modi issue continues to keep the BJP-JD(U) alliance on the edge, with a flip-flop by senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on the likelihood of Mr Modi campaigning in Bihar.
However, the BJP later retracted on the issue and JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav stated that the saffron party has not discussed name of any of its chief ministers for the campaigning in Bihar.
Mr Naqvi in his press briefing on Monday created a flutter by stating that “all stalwart leaders of the party will be part of the joint campaign for the Bihar Assembly polls and Mr Modi is one of our stalwart leaders.”
He went to add, “Definitely he will be part of the campaign,” when specifically asked about the Gujrat chief minister. However, Mr Naqvi later stated “no decision has been taken on who would be the leaders to campaign in the Bihar polls.” Mr Naqvi’s statements immediately invited the snub of the JD(U), as the party spokesman Shivanand Tiwari rushed in to say that he would ask the party leadership to reconsider the alliance with the BJP. However, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav told this newspaper that the name of Mr Modi did not figure at all in his talks with Mr Naqvi when he called on him on Monday to discuss the probable campaigners in Bihar.
“Mr Naqvi had come to me. He took the names of senior party leader L.K. Advani, party president Nitin Gadkari, leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitely respectively and also of Rajnath Singh. Mr Naqvi did not discuss name of any chief minister. Mr Modi’s name did not crop up in our meeting at all,” said Mr Yadav.
In August Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had told the party delegates in the National Executive meeting in Delhi that the JD(U)-BJP combine would go to the polls on the same electoral arrangement as was in 2005, which included campaign strategy along with seat-adjustment.
Mr Yadav had later told reporters that Mr Modi was not part of the campaign strategy in 2005, leaving reporters to draw a conclusion. The two parties had earlier faced a crisis after full page advertisement showing Mr Modi along with Mr Kumar had appeared in Patna dailies.
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