Making a U-turn, JD (U) refused to join the Narendra Modi government with its president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar emphasising that it did not want a “token participation” in the government. With 16 MPs, JD(U) is the third largest party in NDA in the Lok Sabha after BJP and Shiv Sena. JD(U) was eyeing at least two Cabinet posts besides a junior minister’s berth in the council of ministers.
However, BJP offered it only one Cabinet post, which was not acceptable to JD(U). Sources said that Nitish had requested the BJP chief to increase the representation, but Amit Shah conveyed his inability to cede more berths. “BJP national president Amit Shah had proposed a token participation of the allies of NDA in the next government. However, we apprised him of our decision on the issue this morning,” Nitish said before heading for the swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Nitish said the decision to not join the Modi government was taken after consultation with senior leaders of JD(U). “I had met Amit Shah soon after reaching Delhi. Later, we discussed BJP’s proposal with leaders of JD(U), who didn’t agree with the proposal,” said Nitish, who had earlier said in Patna that JD(U) may join the NDA government. Nitish, however, said the decision not to join the new government should not be construed as a mark of resentment. “There is no resentment. We are a part of NDA and are also running the coalition government in Bihar smoothly. It is not necessary to be part of the central government,” he added. JD (U) national general secretary K C Tyagi also corroborated Nitish’s views and said symbolic participation was not acceptable.
Nitish offers one berth to BJP
Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar on Sunday inducted eight new faces all from his Janata Dal (United) into his cabinet. Notably, JD(U) allies the BJP and LJP were overlooked from the cabinet expansion. Following the cabinet expansion, Nitish said the BJP was offered a berth in his cabinet, but the saffron party was not too keen. "Vacancies from JD(U) quota in the cabinet were empty so JD(U) leaders were inducted, there is no issue with BJP, everything is fine," Nitish told reporters.
According to reports, tension seems to be brewing between the alliance partners ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah offered a single berth to the JD(U) in the newly-formed NDA government. However, Nitish dismissed such speculations saying there was "no unease" between the partners. Explaining his rationale behind the JD(U)’s decision to opt out of the Modi 2.0 government, Nitish had earlier said the BJP’s offer should have aimed at proportional representation of all NDA allies. He had also made it clear that the JD(U) will not be joining the government in the future and ruled out having any rift with the BJP.
Meanwhile, Union Minister and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan asserted that all was well within the NDA and that Nitish is their leader in the state. "All is well in the NDA. Nitish Kumar is our leader. Too many conclusions must not be drawn. Nitish has also said that he was, is and will remain in the NDA. Moreover, I am there to act as a cementing force," said Paswan in Patna.
In the 2019 general elections, the BJP-JD(U)-LJP alliance won 39 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar with JD(U) getting 16 of the 17 seats it had contested and BJP and Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP winning all 17 and six seats, respectively. The Congress secured only one seat while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) drew a blank. Assembly elections are due in Bihar next year.
