Even as the former Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, appealed for a grand secular alliance at a recent rally in Haryana, the leadership question has caused cracks to appear in the State alliance — Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress — ahead of the Assembly poll.
However, Chief Minsiter Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday told media persons that the leader of the grand alliance would be declared after the Assembly poll, due in October-November 2015.
Mr. Kumar recently announced that he was ready to take up post of chief minister provided he is given due recognition. “I’m not running away from the responsibility but you should give me the due wages for my labour,” he had said at a function.
Political pundits, though, said Mr. Kumar reportedly felt the need to “throw his hat in the ring” after Mr. Manjhi, his successor, was seen making deft political moves to cultivate his own image for the State Assembly poll.
Significantly, Mr. Manjhi recently met RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in Delhi, where he is recuperating after heart surgery. Party sources told The Hindu that the two leaders had a “cordial talk” about the political situation prevailing in the State, which reportedly sent alarm bells ringing in the JD(U) camp.
Senior RJD leaders Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Abdul Bari Siddiqui declared that the Chief Minister would emerge from the party with the larger vote share.
“Yes, the leader will be from the bigger party on the performance of the last Lok Sabha poll… where is the doubt that RJD is bigger among the grand alliance?” said Mr. Raghuvansh Prasad. Similarly, State Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra said the leadership of the grand alliance would be decided by the party high command in consultation with leaders of other parties: “Nothing has been decided on this issue.”
In the last Assembly polls in 2010, the Dalit community had overwhelmingly voted for Mr. Kumar, ensuring that the JD(U) formed the government with the Bharatiya Janata Party, its ally.
Following the party’s drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, Mr. Kumar had stepped down, appointing his Dalit party colleague Mr. Manjhi with the prior consent of his party leaders that he, Mr. Kumar, would be the chief ministerial candidate in the next Assembly election.
