The barely veiled acrimony between Bihar’s ruling allies JD(U) and BJP resurfaced on Sunday with leaders of the two parties engaging in verbal spats after chief minister and JD(U) stalwart Nitish Kumar publicly snubbed BJP MP and ex-cricketer Kirti Azad in Darbhanga.
Mr Azad, the Lok Sabha member from Darbhanga, was badly peeved when Mr Kumar reportedly asked him in a “deliberately impolite and indignant” manner to keep quiet in presence of several government officials and legislators at a meeting in the northern town. Senior BJP leaders, alternately fuming and sulking since the JD(U) stated its unflinching aversion to Narendra Modi’s possible prime ministerial candidature, took the incident seriously and accused Mr Kumar of unceremonious behaviour towards an MP from the ruling alliance. JD(U) leaders, however, dismissed these charges.
“I was snubbed not once but twice by the chief minister when I raised the issue of water-logging in my constituency...,” said Mr Azad.