While Bihar’s ruling JD(U) effected some last-minute changes to its script of chief minister and party stalwart Nitish Kumar’s contentious visit to Mumbai on Sunday, its grumbling ally, the BJP, made efforts to ameliorate the tensions and keep frustrations under a lid.
Brushing aside voices of discontent from senior BJP leaders in Bihar who feel the JD(U) has been sidelining the national party and focusing on amplifying Mr Kumar’s national profile, BJP national spokesman and Bhagalpur MP Syed Shahanawaz Hussain praised Mr Kumar’s Mumbai visit, saying it “aimed at promoting national unity and integrity”.
But Mr Hussain’s elaborate praise and denials of any misunderstandings between the two ruling allies presented a contrast against statements made by BJP’s Bihar president C.P. Thakur and senior minister Giriraj Singh. Even Mr Thakur, who had spoken out against Mr Kumar seeking “no-objection certificate” from MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday, toned down his indignation in an apparent bid to bury the fresh friction between the two allies.
“In Mumbai, Kumar is representing Bihar and the state’s 10 crore people. We are all proud that he is a very good chief minister and the whole nation is also full of praise for him,” said Mr Hussain at a press conference in Patna reportedly to restrain spiralling perceptions about a widening gulf between the JD(U) and the BJP.
Bihar’s BJP leaders have felt hurt for not being invited to accompany Mr Kumar at the state’s centenary celebrations organised in important cities.