Nitish Kumar doesn’t mince words,BJP smarts

The future leader,according to the resolution,must be committed to keep the controversial issues of the Ayodhya temple,a common civil code and Article 370 on the backburner,adhere to an agenda for governance,support inclusive growth and pledge to develop backward states and regions.

“The BJP is the largest party in the NDA,” the document said,insisting that,therefore,it had the responsibility to keep these parameters in mind while making its choice.

Talking about the leadership issue,Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar invoked Atal Behari Vajpayee.

“Only one who can carry with him all diverse sections of people can become the leader of the nation,” he said,adding,“Now,if there is an attempt to change the path,there is bound to be problems.”

Left plainly uncomfortable by the JD(U) plainspeaking,senior BJP leaders met in the evening and issued a brief conciliatory statement saying,“The need of the hour is to defeat the non-performing and corrupt UPA… The BJP expects opposition parties and allies to keep their main focus on that.”

However,indicating that the barbs at Modi had hurt,the BJP added: “However,it is unfortunate if they concentrate their energies on our chief ministers and dilute the focus of removing the UPA… We reject all unfounded inferences against Shri Narendra Modi.”

There were plenty of those in Nitish’s speech. In an apparent dig at the Gujarat CM over his media blitzkrieg and the talk of a Modi vs Rahul battle,he said,“The country does not run by mere projection… Some persons think they will create a wave and people will accept it… We have seen a lot of that kind of build-up (mahaul) many a time during the last two years.”

Public mood kept changing and many a phenomenon has been built and destroyed in the recent past,he went on to imply.

In another dig at Modi,the Bihar CM said: “Nobody should think that the country can be run by force… Sometimes you will have to wear a cap,sometimes you will have to sport a tilak.” The statement was an apparent allusion to Modi allegedly refusing to put on a skull cap offered to him by a Maulvi during his “sadbhavana” fasts last year.

“Atalji always used to say,‘Follow your Rajdharma’,” Nitish said. Considering that it was in the context of the Gujarat 2002 riots that the term got currency,he again appeared to be targeting the Gujarat CM,saying one state could be “an aberration,but it would be very difficult if it is the whole country”.

Referring to the alliance with the BJP,Nitish said: “We want to remain together… When did we say that we want to part ways?… (But) what would we do if we remain unheard? Then we will take a step.”

He added that while nothing could be predicted in life and compromises were made in politics,“there are certain fundamental principles”. “Compromising with secularism to remain in power,no,we will never do it… We cannot compromise on our basic principles… We want the train to be on track,but if the train derails,we will decide (our course) according to the situation.”

In his speech,Sharad Yadav appeared to strike a more conciliatory note. Assuring party members that “the current difficulties” in the NDA will be sorted out,he advised loudmouths within the party “to speak a bit less”. “We have nothing to do with any particular person,” Yadav said. “This fight is only for principles… We should avoid taking names… There were many differences when Atalji and (L K) Advaniji were there,but they never said anything about us outside… Nor did we.”

Nitish had met both Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley separately on Saturday night to apprise them of the position his party was set to take on the leadership issue. “They said they will sit together and discuss the matter (within their party),” JD(U) general secretary K C Tyagi said when asked what transpired at the meeting.