Wary of Nitish Kumar, but BJP in no mood to back Jitan Manjhi in floor test

Former deputy CM and Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi was closeted with party president Amit Shah and BJP general secretary and Bihar in-charge Bhupendra Yadav on Monday to work out the party’s floor strategy. Speaking to the media, Modi said: “We would have a meeting of the legislature group on February 18 to formulate our stand.”

“Elections will be held on schedule (chunav tay samay per honge),” he said in response to a question. Regarding the JD(U) charge that the BJP was trying to engineer defections, Modi said the BJP was neither going to join a government, nor form one, and therefore, did not figure anywhere in the defection-game. Clearly, the BJP does not want to be seen as a power-hungry, unscruplous outfit. It would rather wait for a few months and seek a public mandate to rule over Bihar.

The sources said notwithstanding the temptation of going to the polls immediately — before the Janata Parivar could re-unite and put its own house in order — the BJP could jump the gun only to its own peril. One, in case Manjhi lost the vote, the Governor would have to invite the leader of the majority-formation to form a government. Two, with the Budget Session of Parliament scheduled to begin in a week, any drastic action like the dissolution of an assembly, could boomerang and provide the opposition with an excuse to derail proceedings.

The sources said in any case, even if he managed to get back to power, Nitish had no time left to perform. “He would also make only announcements like Manjhi,” a senior BJP leader said in a sarcastic tone. He felt the Janata Parivar was bound to witness a power struggle with Lalu and Nitish both trying to gain an upper-hand in the distribution of tickets even if they decided to contest the polls jointly.