New Delhi:
The Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, is prepping plans to end his alliance with the BJP, said sources. Mr Kumar has ordered legislators from his party, the Janata Dal United or JDU not to leave the state capital of Patna so that they can be consulted about ending the partnership that has won two consecutive elections in Bihar.
Senior members of the JDU have resumed attacks on BJP leader Narendra Modi, whose growing hold over the BJP has antagonized the Bihar Chief Minister.
"They have given the leadership in the hands of a tainted person....they want to continue with their fundamentalist politics. JDU will not tolerate this," said Narendra Singh, a senior minister from the JDU, referring to Gujarat's communal riots 11 years ago in which hundreds of Muslims were killed during Mr Modi's first term as Gujarat Chief Minister.
JDU President Sharad Yadav offered a note of restraint. "We will meet everyone and take their opinion. We will decide after that," he said. Sources said Mr Yadav is due in Patna on Thursday.
Earlier this week, Mr Yadav had warned that the JDU would reconsider its participation in the national coalition headed by the BJP - the National Democratic Alliance or NDA. His warning came after senior BJP leader LK Advani resigned from all party posts. Mr Yadav is the Convenor of the NDA; Mr Advani is its chairman.
Mr Advani was persuaded by his party to change his mind on Tuesday evening. "Now that he has withdrawn his resignation, it is a different situation," said Mr Yadav.
Sources in the BJP say it has reconciled to a break-up, though officially there is talk of working things out. "If there are any struggles in the coalition, we will strive to do away with them," said BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, who is the Deputy Chief Minister.