Bihar’s ruling ally BJP on Friday snubbed chief minister and JD(U) stalwart Nitish Kumar’s fulsome praise for Union finance minister P. Chidambaram’s Budget, triggering fresh acrimony among the two allies and threatening their difficult equilibrium.
BJP leaders in Bihar, busy disparaging the Budget as per their party line, found it hard to digest the admiration Mr Chidambaram got from Mr Kumar mainly because of his assurance about reconsidering the criteria for special category states so as to allow Bihar a bigger largesse.
Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi of the BJP, who had described the budget as “disappointing for Bihar,” presented facts and figures to assert his claim.
While several BJP leaders were vocal in disapproving Mr Kumar’s “unwarranted, overtopped praise,” the Opposition RJD pointed at how Mr Kumar had uttered “thank you” for Mr Chidambaram seven times and construed this as Mr Kumar cosying up to the Congress.
The JD(U), however, dismissed political speculations over Mr Kumar’s reaction on the budget as “senseless talk”.
“I do not understand how and why those who praise this budget do so. If only a change in the criteria is the reason for such massive satisfaction, then what about Chidambaram’s word in 2004 about a special package to Bihar?” asked senior BJP leader and animal husbandry minister Giriraj Singh.