Manoj Chaurasia in Patna
Though the Janata Dal-United and the
Bharatiya Janata Party, coalition partners in Bihar's ruling National
Democratic Alliance government, have agreed on a “ceasefire”, things are not
normal yet. It became clear today when the chief minister, Nitish Kumar,
deferred a monthly meeting with the leaders and workers of both the parties
without citing any reason.
Since returning to power with a
historic three-fourths majority after the October-November 2010 Assembly
elections, Mr Kumar has met BJP and JD-U workers on the last Monday of each
month to obtain feedback about the government's functioning, know their problems,
offer suggestions about taking official programmes to the people and to plan
responses to the Opposition’s aggressive strategies. Now, it is for the first
time in two years that the meeting has not been held, despite Mr Kumar being in
Patna. This is described by many as the fall-out of the strained relations
between the two parties.
According to sources, problems
cropped up after Mr Kumar's comments on a secular NDA Prime Minister, made to
the media rather than at a political forum. Although the JD-U president, Sharad
Yadav, issued a gag order to his partymen and the Bihar chief minister
subsequently directed all his party spokespersons not to say anything against
the BJP to the media without consulting him or senior party leaders, BJP leaders
chose to be cold to Mr Kumar.
The state JD-U chief, Vashishtha
Narayan Singh, told the media the meeting had been put off as the venue
was being renovated. The state BJP chief, CP Thakur, said the cancellation
might have resulted from the chief minister's pressing engagements.
Word, though, is there were
apprehensions angry BJP supporters might shout pro-Narendra Modi slogans if a
meeting were held. That would have been a repeat performance of the Friday
protest at Raj Bhavan against price rise.
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