Patna: Chief Minister of Bihar and JDU national president Nitish Kumar, on Tuesday, claimed all is well (sab theek hai) between JDU and BJP. He was reacting to the series of war of words between Deputy CM and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi and JDU national vice president Prashant Kishore.
The war of words started on Monday following a statement by the election strategist Prashant Kishore that as the political conditions have changed since 2015, there will be changes in the distribution of seats between JDU and BJP for the coming assembly elections. JDU is a larger party compared to BJP. Hence, JDU will have a greater share in the distribution of seats in the alliance for the 2020 assembly elections.
PK, as he is called in JDU circles, said JDU is the senior party in the assembly and Nitish Kumar is its leader.
Sushil Modi had reacted to PK's suggestion and said in his tweet that the share of seats would be decided by top leaders of the two parties and not by those who have made politics their business. "They are collecting and distributing data and marketing themselves without any political ideology or commitment. JDU-BJP alliance is time-tested; both the parties respect each other. There is no problem in the alliance, except for those doing business in elections. They run a company for their business. They do not have any interest for the welfare of the nation," he claimed.
PK today retaliated by saying Sushil Kumar Modi had become a deputy CM by an accident (after JDU snapped ties with RJD in July, 2017) after having lost the elections in 2015 to JDU. Now, Modi is talking of political decorum and decency.
Modi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and JDU president Nitish Kumar will lead the election campaign in Bihar.
The war of words escalated further as BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand today took strong objection to PK's comments against Modi and said, "PK should not even equate himself to the earth of Modi's feet." Nawal Kishore Yadav, BJP MLA, said Sushil Modi was the top BJP leader in Bihar, while PK was a small businessman.
Shayam Rajak, industries minister and JDU leader, said PK should restrain himself.
PK had opposed support to NRC and CAA in the Parliament and had asked the CM to review the decision. Nitish had summoned PK last week, and according to PK, Nitish had also supported his stand.
RCP Singh, general secretary of JDU, strongly protested to the claims of PK and said he was new to politics and that he wanted to be in the news through controversial statements.
PK, through his NGO, had worked for BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, in the 2012 Gujarat assembly elections, and in 2015 for JDU in the assembly elections in Bihar. He had popularised a slogan "Abki Baar Nitish Kumar" and Chai Pe Charcha for BJP.
He had been hired by Akhilesh Yadav in UP and TMC in West bengal. Now, he is working for AAP in Delhi.
