Amidst speculation of rumblings within the Bihar National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on June 4 said that they would "welcome" Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar back if he decides to leave the NDA.
Kumar's Janata Dal (United) had refused to join the government at the Center after the BJP offered a "symbolic" ministerial berth to its allies. Reports indicate that a miffed Kumar had refused to join the government, and the JD(U) stated soon after that it would never be a part of NDA-led Union Cabinet.
While JD(U) leaders, including Kumar, have clarified that they are not upset with the NDA leadership, Kumar's decision to induct only JD(U) ministers during Bihar's cabinet expansion on June 3 is being seen as a tit-for-tat move. The BJP had clarified that it would take its share of ministry at a later date.
Stating that the BJP will continue to "humiliate and insult" Kumar in the days to come, RJD national vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said that the RJD and JD(U), with the help of other parties, can defeat the BJP.
"We would welcome Nitish Kumar if he decides to leave the BJP after receiving ill-treatment. RJD and JD (U), with the help of other parties, can defeat the BJP," Singh said, according to a report by The Indian Express.
RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav has, in the past, has expressed reservations against forging an alliance with Kumar, stating that nobody trusts the Bihar chief minister. However, Singh retorted saying that Yadav has not said this "in writing".
Commenting on the developments, Upendra Kushwaha, whose Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) is a constituent of the Grand Alliance, said that BJP should be ready for "dhokha number 2 (second betrayal)".
"Nitish Kumar has a habit of disrespecting the mandate," Kushwaha added.
Kumar broke away with the NDA in 2013, and had successfully contested the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections in alliance with the RJD and the Congress. However, Kumar had pulled out of the government in 2017, rejoining the NDA.
While JD(U) leaders have said that the RJD "should not read too much into what is happening inside NDA", sources told the Indian Express that all is not fine between the allies.
"We are deeply upset at the offer of one ministry at the Centre…This is not what we had expected from the BJP," a JD(U) leader said. On June 3, the BJP and JD(U) had also skipped each other's Iftar parties.
Iftar parties in Bihar, meanwhile, sparked a political war of words after BJP minister Giriraj Singh on June 4 took a jibe at the NDA partners in Bihar for attending a party.
Tweeting an image of leaders from the JD(U), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and BJP's Sushil Modi at a party organised by Jitan Ram Manjhi, Singh said that the picture would have been beautiful had they organised "phalahar on Navratra" as well.
"Why we lag behind in our religion and rituals and lead in the display for others," the BJP leader tweeted.
Later in the day, Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly called and asked Singh to avoid making such statements, according to news agency ANI.
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