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Alliance intact in Bihar, says BJP; Congress works at ‘honourable’ pact

Hindustan Times, Patna | ByVijay Swaroop and Subhash Pathak | Edited by Ashutosh Tripathi
Jul 07, 2020 09:54 PM IST

The BJP said that NDA partners will fight unitedly. The Congress, on the other hand, said it will hammer out an “honourable” pact with its coalition partners.

The BJP and Congress in-charge for Bihar were in the state on Tuesday to shore up and firm up their alliances ahead of the assembly polls. The BJP said that NDA partners will fight unitedly. The Congress, on the other hand, said it will hammer out an “honourable” pact with its coalition partners.

Underscoring that its alliance in Bihar was intact, the BJP said that it would contest the polls with its two other partners - JD(U) and the LJP - with a “positive mindset” and on a “development plank”.

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The comment assumes significance as differences have cropped up between the JD (U) and the LJP on several issues lately.

“NDA is comfortably placed. Nobody should have doubt about the alliance. The alliance will contest elections unitedly on the plank of work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government in six years and the steps taken during the lockdown period,” said Bhupendra Yadav, Rajya Sabha MP and in-charge of Bihar BJP affairs.

The BJP in-charge also made it clear to the cadres that they should not bother about who will be contesting how many seats. “Whatever seats one gets, NDA will fight unitedly. Prepare for all 243 seats,” he said.

The LJP had been critical of JD(U) over employment opportunities for migrant labourers during the lockdown, farmers’ issues, seat sharing, and, above all, the issue of chief ministership in the state.

The Congress in-charge for Bihar Shaktisinh Gohil also sent a message to sulking alliance partners that the party would have an “honourable” tie up with the alliance partners for the upcoming assembly polls.

Gohil, who was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha, rushed to Patna on a three-day visit apparently to coordinate with the leaders of the opposition alliance in the wake of fissures emerging over two issues — common minimum programme (CMP) and coordination committee.

Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) chief Madan Mohan Jha and campaign committee chairman Akhilesh Prasad Singh were also present when Gohil addressed the gathering of party workers at the BPCC office at Sadaquat Ashram in the evening.

A senior BPCC functionary, pleading anonymity, said that meeting the top leaders of the alliance to sort out “minor” differences on the issues of CMP and coordination committee also topped the AICC in-charge agenda, which was not included in his official itinerary.

“HAM-S leader Jitan Ram Manjhi is also anxiously waiting for Gohil’s meeting with RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav to sort out issues,” he said.

BPCC media in-charge HK Verma said that Gohil’s visit was quite significant as the party would form an initial view for the seats it would bargain to contest in the assembly polls with RJD and other alliance leaders. The party leaders have identified around 100 out of 243 seats to contest in the upcoming assembly polls set to be held in October-November.

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