Opinion Nitish’s eyes on the other Modi
So long as senior Bihar BJP leaders like C P Thakur and Rameshwar Chaurasia now inducted in Rajnath Singhs team as vice-president and secretary respectively
So long as senior Bihar BJP leaders like C P Thakur and Rameshwar Chaurasia now inducted in Rajnath Singhs team as vice-president and secretary respectively and minister Giriraj Singh were vocal about Narendra Modis projection as prime ministerial candidate,alliance partner JD(U) appeared not to mind too much. What appears to have changed that was Chief Minister Nitish Kumars trusted deputy and the top-most BJP leader of the state,Sushil Kumar Modi,jumping onto that bandwagon.
Sushil Modi appeared to have joined his namesakes growing fan following in the party when,for the first time,during the state BJP executive last month,he recalled his long association with the Gujarat CM and praised his leadership qualities.
That was a big blow to the JD(U),which has always regarded Sushil Modi as the strongest adhesive in its alliance with the BJP. Sushil Modi himself has taken care to position himself on the side of Nitish even as tensions between their parties rose,even describing him as PM material in an interview to this paper.
The JD(U) believes that Sushil Modis apparent change of heart has been prompted by orders from Delhi,particularly as he can hardly be expected to ignore the same.
After Nitishs speech in Delhi at the JD(U) national executive,where he clearly took potshots at Narendra Modi,Sushil Modi had made it clear: What happened in Delhi should not have happened.
Sushil Modis position is also untenable as within the state unit of the BJP,he has earned detractors,including at least three ministers (most of them known Narendra Modi supporters). They kept away from the party state executive meeting recently alleging they felt ignored under the new state president,Mangal Pandey,seen as a Sushil Modi man.
As the Bihar BJP core committee meets in Delhi Thursday to discuss the future of the Bihar alliance,the JD(U) will be closely watching to see the line Sushil Modi takes. Sushilji was the last hope for the Bihar alliance. If his tone and tenor have changed,it means he has got the message,which may not be good for us, said a close aide of Nitish.
Santosh is a special correspondent based in Patna
santosh.singh@expressindia.com
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