The after-effect of BJP's landslide victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls is being felt in neighbouring Bihar where the dagger seems to be out between the two major constituents of the ruling Grand Alliance government in Bihar -- the JD(U) and the RJD.
Senior RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, who often targets Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, alleged that the JD(U) president's "support" to demonetisation and his "silence" throughout the UP polls over the issue helped the BJP, triggering a fresh round of verbal exchanges between the two parties.
The RJD vice-president claimed that by not campaigning for the Samajwadi Party-Congress combine in UP, Kumar "weakened" the Grand Alliance in Bihar, whose leader Lalu Prasad canvassed for the anti-BJP grouping in the politically crucial state.
Singh's fresh salvo on the chief minister drew sharp reactions from the JD(U).
"Senior JD(U) leaders and ministers Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lallan had asked the RJD leadership to keep Raghuvansh Prasad Singh silent for the good of the Grand Alliance. But, he is frequently making remarks against the chief minister," JD(U) spokesman Neeraj Kumar told PTI.
"If the RJD leadership does not buy Singh's statement, it should initiate action against him," the MLC said.
Bihar JD(U) chief spokesman Sanjay Singh slammed Singh and urged RJD chief Lalu Prasad to take action against him. Singh's public salvo against Kumar angered the Congress too.
State Congress chief and minister Ashok Choudhary said this was "not good" for the alliance, adding that he will raise the issue at a future meeting of the coalition leaders.
The squabble among the RJD and the JD(U) provided an opportunity to the BJP to claim that the ruling coalition was heading for a split.
"After the UP poll results, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, with tacit support from Lalu Prasad, is holding Nitish Kumar responsible for the loss of the SP-Congress combine there. The Grand Alliance parties are divided on demonetisation too," senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said in a statement.
"In truth, the Grand Alliance is not only a divided house on various issues, but rather heading towards a split," he claimed.
"In this circumstance, it seems impossible for Nitish Kumar to complete the full term of his ministry," the former Bihar deputy chief minister added.
(With PTI inputs)
