The barely veiled competition between Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar for the PM’s post brought Bihar’s ruling NDA allies — the BJP and JD(U) — on a fresh collision course on Monday following Bihar’s centenary celebrations in Gujarat a day before.
Statements made by Bihar’s health minister and senior BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Choubey at the function in Surat in presence of Mr Modi met with sharp criticism by several JD(U) leaders in Bihar. Mr Choubey, one of the BJP’s hardline leaders in Bihar, had lavished praise on Mr Modi and said that Bihar solidly stood behind him for his candidature for the PM’s post.
The JD(U), whose leaders have earlier projected Mr Kumar as the NDA’s best prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections, hit back angrily, making the state BJP uncomfortably defensive.
“What is the meaning of all this? He (Choubey) is a member of the Bihar council of ministers. On what basis is he making this announcement? We are completely against such an announcement. Where was he when Bihar’s minorities were being tortured in Gujarat? Such announcements are very objectionable and not good for our coalition,” said JD(U) spokesman and MLC Neeraj Kumar.