New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey’s comment that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar be appointed deputy prime minister, has got tongues wagging in political circles in Bihar where elections are due later this year.
Choubey made the remarks Wednesday during a programme in Buxar where he referred to Nitish and PM Narendra Modi as ‘Ram-Lakshman’.
“In the upcoming Bihar polls, where our target is to win 225 seats, we definitely need the leadership of Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar ji,” he said. Adding, “But I definitely feel that now Bihar wishes our Nitish bhai should become convener of NDA. If he is given the status of deputy prime minister in Narendra Modi’s team, it will be a great blessing for Bihar.”
Bihar BJP spokesperson Manoj Sharma, however, said no such decision has been taken by the party. “This is not an official stand of the party. The party has maintained that elections will be held under the leadership of Nitish ji.”
BJP sources, on the other hand, said a section of the party views Choubey’s comment as an indication of changing political equations within the party, and with allies.
Choubey’s comment also comes in the background of speculation that the BJP may offer alliance partner Nitish an ‘honourable exit’.
Janata Dal (United), meanwhile, was quick to term the comment a ‘personal opinion’ and pointed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s public assurances that the elections would be fought under Nitish’s leadership.
“You see, this is not an official comment by BJP and we only take note of official comments, whether it is from BJP’s national president or state president, Prime Minister or Union home minister. Bihar ki zaroorat hai Nitish Kumar (Nitish Kumar is what Bihar needs),” JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad told ThePrint Thursday.
He added that NDA, under the leadership of PM Modi and Bihar CM Nitish performed well in the previous assembly elections as well as the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and will continue to do so in the future. “Home Minister Amit Shah ji recently said Bihar is on the threshold of its biggest victory ever and the government will be formed under Nitish Kumar.”
But there is a section within BJP that feels Choubey’s comment was ‘tactful’ and must be viewed ‘seriously’. Kumar’s support has been critical for the NDA since BJP could not secure an absolute majority on its own in the Lok Sabha. Its subsequent dependence on allies, especially JD(U) and TDP, was visible during the passing of the Waqf bill in the Parliament.
The BJP too reciprocated support with a slew of measures for Bihar’s Mithilanchal region in the Union Budget—establishment of a foxnut board, expansion of Darbhanga airport, construction of an AIIMS in Darbhanga, and redevelopment of Sitamarhi.
After the 2020 Bihar elections, despite JD(U) having fewer MLAs, BJP had agreed to Kumar continuing as chief minister, effectively granting JD(U) the “big brother” role in the NDA government in Bihar.
In the Lok Sabha elections last year, the BJP leadership’s confidence was evident in the fact that the party contested 17 seats as against JD(U) contesting 16. This was a departure from 2019, when BJP and JD(U) contested 17 seats each. However, a BJP functionary said a lot has changed since the Lok Sabha polls and the party is now dependent on Kumar.
“This ‘big brother’ or ‘small brother’ is for the media. For us, it is NDA and both partners share a strong rapport. The way Nitish ji supported NDA on waqf bill shows how strong the alliance is. Even Choubey’s comment is more about Kumar’s growing influence and how he has served as the CM for so many years,” said the BJP functionary.
Another BJP leader, however, hinted that while polls may be contested with Nitish as the face, the ‘time’ is ripe to groom BJP leadership in Bihar. “Irrespective of the comments made by Choubey ji, we should be concentrating on our own leadership in the state. The issue might not be on the table today but in future we should focus on having a BJP CM in Bihar. The day is not far behind,” the BJP leader told ThePrint.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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