New Delhi: Clearly miffed at being allocated just one cabinet portfolio, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal-United (JD-U) has decided to opt out of the Narendra Modi government. “The offer made by the BJP was not acceptable to us. But we are firmly with the National Democratic Alliance. But we will not join the government,” Kumar said.
Kumar’s close associate, RCP Singh, was to be the lone cabinet minister. A closed-door meeting in New Delhi of the chief minister and top leaders of the JDU, however, decided to not attend the swearing-in ceremony.Kumar told reporters about their decision just as he was leaving his residence in Delhi to head to Rashtrapati Bhawan. His party’s leaders, who asked not to be named, said PM Modi phoned Kumar after he made his mind clear. Electronic media sources said that Kumar made it clear that one portfolio was inadequate given that BJP allies with far smaller share in the NDA tally were getting the same representation in the cabinet. He named the Akali Dal and Ram Vilas Paswan to buttress his contention.
For the record, Kumar and the BJP had contested 17 seats each in Bihar in the general election. The BJP-led alliance lost just one of the 40 seats. Kumar’s party was successful in 16. Nitish seems to have factored into his strategy the fact that Bihar will votes next year in Assembly election; to accept one cabinet position would be seen as yielding before the BJP; this would further weaken their position while haggling over seats that the two sides will contest in the Assembly election.