Nitish Kumar gives clear indications of JD(U)-BJP split

In the first clear indication from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of a rift between the Janata Dal United and the Bharatiya Janata Party, he has said that the relations between the two parties are not good. He said discussions are on and a decision will be taken soon. (Read more)

"We are concerned about the present situation. We will let the media know post discussions. I can't give a final statement on the JD(U) and the BJP but the circumstances are making it difficult," Nitish said on Friday.

He used a Hindi verse to describe the current situation saying, "Duaa dete hain jeene ki, davaa dete hain marne ki (You wish for my long life, but give medicines that will kill me)."
The split between the two parties looks imminent. There also have been indications that the JD(U) is reaching out to Independent MLAs in Bihar for support.
An Independent MLA has told CNN-IBN that the JD(U) has offered him a post in Nitish Kumar's cabinet if he agrees to support the party.
"There is a possibility that the JD(U) will split with the BJP in Bihar over Narendra Modi's recent elevation in the party. They called me about joining the party and said that I would get the ministry of my choice and then I will get the party's MP ticket," Independent MLA Dilip Verma said.
Meanwhile, all BJP Bihar ministers skipped work on Friday. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi has called a meeting of all the BJP ministers at his Patna residence at 3 pm.
Both the BJP and JD(U) presidents have been refuting reports of their split. "It is wrong to say that we gave an ultimatum. The BJP had a meeting, we will also have one. There are many things to discuss about the country. We have to assess our national alliance with the BJP. It will be discussed in our meeting. We are with the NDA. But JD(U) has had discussions with other chief ministers of weak states on a plan to work together to improve the situation of the states," JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav said.
BJP President Rajnath Singh also said that he doesn't want the alliance to break. "We don't want such a long-running alliance of 17 years to end like this," he told the media.
Nitish Kumar has also called a meeting with his confidants in Patna, where a decision on the JD(U)-BJP alliance is likely to be taken.
Earlier, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury met Sharad Yadav on Friday to discuss the current political situation. Since the JD(U) has hinted at splitting from the NDA, clamour for a Third Front has been growing.
"If we can understand and address each other's problems, regional parties can form a new front to take on the central government. This will send out a good message," Nitish Kumar had said earlier.
"There are many issues on which the Congress and the BJP have been unsuccessful. The time has come for the nation to have a Third Front government," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had said supporting the idea of forming a Third Front ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
But the BJP is not giving up and is making all efforts to keep the NDA united. According to sources, some BJP MLAs are in touch with the JD(U) leadership. The BJP has expressed concerns over how this breakup would affect its vote share in Bihar. "We understand need for coalitions in the country. We know our duties towards it. The NDA is united and will move forward. I don't see the possibility of the Third Front," BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had said.
The ties between the JD(U) and the BJP hit an all-time low ever since Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was made the party's poll campaign chief for 2014. The JD(U) has openly voiced its opposition to the growing stature of Modi within the party. Following the resignation from all posts by BJP patriarch LK Advani, the JD(U) had said that the alliance was on "ventilator support".
Nitish Kumar has kept the BJP on tenterhooks over continuance in the NDA, saying his party is "concerned" about the "recent developments" in BJP and JD(U) would take a call on them after discussing the matter within the party. Sensing his opportunity, Nitish Kumar has even renewed his demands for a special category status to Bihar.
The Congress knows his support to it depends to a large extent on it. The Bihar CM has also begun talks with his West Bengal and Odisha counterparts, Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik on the Third Front.