THE INVISIBLE AMMO IN CHIRAG’S HITS AT NITISH

JD-U leaders say BJP using LJP to weaken Nitish’s position

As LJP president Chirag Paswan cautioned youths on Monday against voting for the JDU in the upcoming Bihar poll, it became clearer the attack was being directed by the BJP, say leaders from Nitish Kumar’s party.

Chirag, who has been targeting Nitish since February, said any votes to the JD-U would be a “waste”. In a letter to the electorate, he said Nitish has “failed on all fronts”, as he himself promised a better future once LJP-BJP is voted to power.

From the handling of Bihari migrant workers who had returned during the lockdown to the announcement of giving government jobs to a family member of SC/ST people in case of murder, Chirag has been taking Nitish head-on. JD-U leaders say BJP is backing Chirag behind the scene. LJP’s decision to field its candidates against JD-U picks only smacked of political conspiracy by BJP, they said. Sources pointed out Chirag has been only picking Nitish from NDA while praising PM Modi. In BJP’s first virtual interaction with the state leaders, its general secretary Bhupinder Yadav had exhorted party workers to ensure BJP got enough seats to form the govt on its own.

By pitting LJP against JD-U, sources said, the BJP is getting even with the CM for the insult meted out to Modi and other BJP leaders in 2013 by Nitish who had withdrawn a dinner invitation to them at the CM’s bungalow to protest his pictures with the PM’s in newspapers and hoardings. NItish also dropped the BJP ministers from his government without notice and formed a new govt in alliance with RJD and Congress.

In 2005 too, LJP had prevented Nitish from getting the vote of confidence in the assembly and his government lasted six days. Then LJP had senior Nitish colleagues like Ramashyara Prasad Singh, Narendra Singh, Ranjan Prasad Yadav in its team. Forward caste voters who were unhappy with the Lalu-Rabri regime had supported LJP. A repeat is expected in 2020.