The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday hit back at the Janata Dal (United) over allegations that it was plotting a split in the party, saying the entire crisis was triggered by former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar himself and his obsession for power.
“This crisis has arisen because of Nitish Kumar and his obsession for power. Its an internal row brewing within the JD(U). ...They are now putting blame on us as they are unable to handle their own crisis,” party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said in New Delhi.
Taking potshots at the senior JD(U) leader, he said Mr. Kumar had walked out of the JD(U)-BJP coalition government in Bihar as he had the ambition of becoming the Prime Minister.
“However he made Jitan Manjhi, a Mahadalit, the Chief Minister after JD(U)’s poor show in the (Lok Sabha) polls but now he wants to be the CM once again,” Mr. Hussain said, adding BJP as Bihar’s main opposition party was keeping a close watch on the developments in the state.
JD(U) spokesperson K.C. Tyagi had earlier in the day accused Mr. Manjhi of working at BJP’s behest and said he had no right to attend the NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi as he no longer enjoyed the confidence of the majority of MLAs after JD(U) lawmakers elected Mr. Kumar as their new leader.
Meanwhile, LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan, a partner of the ruling NDA at the Centre, slammed JD(U) moves to remove Mr. Manjhi as the Chief Minister, wondering if he was being punished for any anti-party activities.
“Nitish Kumar was the Chief Minister. No one had replaced him but he played the Mahadalit card and made Manjhi the Chief Minister. Kumar should have allowed him to continue. A resolution was also passed that the elections would be fought under his leadership.
“So what happened in between. Did Mr. Manjhi commit any anti-party activities because of which he is being punished,” Mr. Paswan wondered.
