Some say Nitish will be made deputy PM by Modi, others say he is finished
Patna,(BiharTimes): Even as the central leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party is weighing all its option the pro-NDA camp within the Janata Dal (United) appears elated.
When the state BJP leaders are unable to say anything concrete on the issue––as the central leadership gives little importanceto them––the pro-BJP elements in the Janata Dal (United) are saying that chief minister Nitish Kumar and prime minister Narendra Modi have an excellent relationship.
“Old is gold,” was how a JD(U) functionary told Bihar Times. When asked to explain “what do you mean by old. Is it RJD?”
“No, no. It is the BJP. RJD ‘to bahut purana ho gaya’ (RJD is too old),” he replied.
If the pro-BJP elements in the JD(U) are to be believed Nitish may even be inducted into the central cabinet as the Narendra Modi government badly needs experienced hands, especially after the exit of Manohar Parrikar and Venkaiah Naidu.
“Nitish may even be made home minister and deputy prime minister. Then a lesson would be taught to Lalu Prasad and his two sons,” was how he said adding that “we would not allow another Jungle Raj in Bihar”.
However, he became upset when BiharTimes reminded him that for almost entire peiod of 15 years of the ‘Jungle Raj’ he was in RJD and crossed over to the JD(U) much later.
While there is speculations in pro-BJP camp in the JD(U) its former president Sharad Yadav on Monday minced no words to see a great saffron party conspiracy to split Grand Alliance. Sharad’s statement landed Nitish in further trouble as the most powerful Yadav minister in his cabinet, Bijendra Prasad Yadav and former Speaker, Uday Narayan Chaudhary, had cautioned the chief minister against taking any hasty action.
Amidst all these gossips the state BJP sources expressed their ignorance on whether Nitish has opened a channel with the BJP central leadership.
However, independent sources refused to predict anything. However, they are taking the deputy PM version with a pinch of salt. “What is wrong if pro-BJP elements in the JD(U) live in a world of dream,” one of them asked. The truth is that the JD(U) is facing a very big challenge with leaders badly divided, he added.
