New Delhi: As the standoff between Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal-United (JD(U)) continues in Bihar, BJP president Nitin Gadkari is coming to Delhi on Monday and is expected to take a call on the alliance.
The friction between the two parties was triggered off by advertisements splashed in Patna newspapers showing BJP leader and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi holding hands with Nitish Kumar. Miffed at the ad, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar cancelled a dinner for BJP leaders on June 12. (
Read: After ad row, Nitish cancels dinner for BJP leaders)
Further, in a big snub, the Bihar government on June 19 returned the Rs 5 crore cheque given by Gujarat for Kosi flood relief. The money was returned after local papers carried advertisements of how the BJP helped out with flood relief in Bihar, which Nitish felt was politicising the matter. (
Read: Angry Nitish returns Gujarat's Kosi aid)
"The way Mr Modi advertised himself and his Kosi grant is against the etiquette. Bihar government helped Latur when earthquake struck the region. The right way is to help someone in need and not publicise himself," said Shivanand Tiwari, spokesperson, JD(U).
This triggered a retaliation by Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Sushil Modi who refused to travel with Nitish Kumar to showcase the state's progress in the last five years as part of their pre-election campaign. (
Read: Now, BJP's Sushil Modi snubs Nitish Kumar)
However, the Nitish Kumar-BJP tit for tat didn't stop there. The Bihar Chief Minister later cancelled an evening rally, scheduled in a Patna constituency of a prominent BJP minister.
Due to the ongoing spat between Nitish and Modi, the BJP-JD(U) alliance in Bihar is now teetering on the edge of collapse. And now, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari is expected to take a decision on the alliance ahead of the elections there. (
Read: Serious problems in BJP-JD(U) alliance in Bihar, say sources)