Sources says that opposition parties were once again sending emissaries to Nitish Kumar to get him back to lead the ‘grand alliance’ in the state
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's congratulatory message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for completing four years has re-ignited speculations about the uneasy relations between the alliance partners — the JD(U) and the BJP in the state. "I believe the government will rise to the expectations of the people," he concluded his message.
A senior JD(U) leader confirmed that the message was in the context of recent developments that included Central government refusal to release Rs 7,636 crore for relief and rehabilitation of last year's flood victims. The Centre has released just Rs 1,711 crore. The leader said the irony is that this amount would also include the grant of Rs 500 crore that PM Modi had announced after his aerial visit.
Kumar, who had strongly supported PM's demonetisation move, has also questioned its benefits. He slammed banks for allegedly trying to help rich and powerful manage their cash during notebandi. "I was a supporter of demonetisation...but how many people benefited from it? Some powerful people shifted their cash from one place to another," Kumar said at a meeting with bank officials on Saturday.
In 2016, Kumar, then part of a Grand Alliance of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress, had supported demonetisation, while RJD chief Lalu Prasad had opposed the move. Kumar had described the Centre's demonetisation decision as 'sahsik' (courageous), which, he said, would help in the fight against black money. "While supporting demonetisation in principle, I, with equal strength, criticise the poor arrangements for its implementation due to which common man is facing hardship," the Chief Minister said.
Sources here said that opposition parties were once again sending emissaries to Kumar to get him back to lead the 'grand alliance' in the state. A senior RJD leader confirmed that his party was in touch with Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) as well as with the JD(U). While they claim that they have received positive response from the LJP and RLSP, there was no response from the CM.
The move is believed to have support from Lalu Yadav and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who want to forge a strong anti-BJP alliance ahead of 2019 general elections. Kushwaha has been more vocal over past few months. Not only he attacked his own government on the communal clashes in Bihar, he also visited RJD president Lalu Yadav at AIIMS. Paswan recently told media that the BJP was suffering because of the popular perception that it was anti-minority and anti-Dalit.
RETURN OF ALLIANCE?
- Sources said that opposition parties were once again sending emissaries to Nitish Kumar to get him back to lead the ‘grand alliance’ in the state
- A senior RJD leader confirmed that his party was in touch with LJP and RLSP as well as with the JD(U)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "A file photo of BIhar CM Nitish Kumar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}