The secularism-Hindutva battle intensified Wednesday with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat rallying behind Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, saying the country needed a “Hindu” leader.
Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar had decided to take on Mr Modi when the Bharatiya Janata Party, at its Mumbai national executive, wanted to name Mr Modi chairman of its campaign and selection committee. This would have been a clear signal that the party wanted to project Mr Modi as its prime ministerial candidate for 2014.
Mr Nitish Kumar, who has to cater to Bihar’s Muslim votebank, made it clear the NDA needed a secular face, sources said. However, despite the war of words, sources said Mr Kumar had “assured the BJP leadership he will not quit the NDA”.
A BJP leader claimed the move to pick Mr Modi as head of the BJP campaign and selection committee was also “conveyed to Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa”, It was said if the BJP managed to get 200 seats in the 2014 general election on its own, the party will project Mr Modi as Prime Minister. “Naveen Patnaik and Jayalalithaa had no issues, but Nitish needs to cater to the Muslim votebank in Bihar”, the BJP leader added.
Some BJP leaders were apparently taken unawares by the RSS chief’s anti-Nitish remarks. There were whispers in saffron circles that the RSS chief and others like Balbir Punj should have been restrained in attacking Mr Kumar.