Patna : Bihar's Chief Minister and leader of the Janata Dal (United), Nitish Kumar, singled out Congress for not making major headway in the coalition against the BJP.
He seems to be grappling with the opposition unity mission following his separation from the NDA.
During a rally organised by the CPI in Patna, Nitish addressed the coalition's lack of progress, targeting the Congress, confirming that not everything is going smoothly within the coalition.
Recently, Nitish expressed displeasure with his ally, the RJD, regarding developmental issues.
Even when he was with the BJP, Nitish consistently applied pressure tactics on his coalition parties.
Nitish is displeased with the attitudes of the Congress and the RJD. He seems apprehensive because the Congress is standing with the RJD with strength and trust, something that the JD(U) doesn’t seem to have. This has left Nitish concerned.
During the opposition coalition's first meeting in Patna, there were discussions on Nitish becoming the coordinator.
However, in subsequent meetings, not only was this discussion halted, but it was observed that the Congress seemed to occupy the driving seat within the coalition.
On several occasions, Nitish has stated that the opposition alliance cannot be imagined without the Congress.
However, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the Congress.
It is believed that Nitish is displeased with the Congress due to the delayed discussion on seat-sharing.
On the other hand, the regional parties are hesitant to give more space to the Congress on their strong political bailiwicks.
Political analyst Ajay Kumar, an expert on Bihar's politics, asserts that the component parties of the INDIA bloc, based in Delhi, Bengal, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh, are uneasy about the Congress' aggressive behaviour. The regional parties are hesitant to grant more space to the Congress on their political turf. All the regional parties want swift negotiations on seat-sharing.
Ajay Kumar believes that if everything doesn't align swiftly in the INDIA bloc, Nitish might start exploring other options.
After publicly expressing his displeasure with the Congress, RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son and Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav met Nitish at his residence on Friday evening. However, the details of their conversation remain undisclosed.
Political strategist Prashant Kishor asserts that Nitish has a limited role in this coalition. People talk about Nitish becoming the coordinator, but the question is why would they appoint him? The Congress is the largest party in the INDIA bloc, followed by the Trinamool Congress, so what strength does the JD(U) have to make Nitish the coordinator? This is a misconception being spread.
Kishor stated that if Nitish remains in this coalition, his role will be very limited. He added that the formation of the grand alliance in Bihar is a state event and doesn't have a national impact.
According to the political parties, the INDIA bloc will never succeed, while the leaders involved in the alliance claim that everything is fine within the bloc.
CPI general secretary D. Raja claimed that discussions about seat sharing will take place after the assembly elections in five states with the results on December 3. He stated that Nitish Kumar has made a positive statement.
IANS