'All is well' between JD(U) and BJP, says Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on Tuesday tried to ward off speculations about a possible conflict with ally BJP over seat-sharing for next assembly polls, asserting “All is well between his JD(U) and the saffron party” in the state.
Nitish's remark came just an hour after his party’s senior leader and political strategist Prashant Kishor made a frontal attack on senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, saying, “Modi became deputy CM by virtue of circumstances despite his party’s defeat in 2015 Bihar elections.”
“Sab theek hai (All is well),” Nitish said on the sidelines of a programme here on Tuesday after a group of journalists sought his reaction on growing rift between the two allies over Kishor’s recent demand that JD(U) must be given larger number of seats in seat-sharing because it is a bigger party (than the BJP) in Bihar.
Trouble between the two major allies of NDA began on Sunday after Kishor, while talking to media persons in the state capital here, argued that “since the assembly election will be contested with face of Nitish Kumar, hence the ratio of seat sharing between BJP and JD(U) cannot be one is to one. The basis of seat-sharing talks between BJP and JD(U) should be 1:1.4 or near to it. It may even be 1:1.3.”
The ratio of one is to 1.4 means if the BJP gets 100 seats, the JD(U) must get 140 seats, out of total 243 assembly seats in Bihar.
Kishor also recalled a previous statement of BJP president Amit Shah in which he had said that the NDA would go to assembly polls in Bihar with Nitish Kumar as its CM candidate.
Reacting over Kishor’s argument on seat-sharing, Sushil Modi on Monday made a stinging remark on the political strategist while reminding him of “his business of collating political data and coining slogans.”
“It is already decided that 2020 assembly polls will be fought under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar. Seat-sharing will be finalized by top leaders of both the parties at an appropriate time. There is no problem in seat sharing. But those, who have entered politics not driven by ideology but while being engaged in the ‘business of collating political data and coining slogans’, are making utterances in violation of ‘gathbandhan dharma’ and benefiting the opposition’s alliance in the bargain. --- A person engaged in a profit-making business first prepares his market for his services, then he thinks about the interest of country in a later stage,” Modi had tweeted on Monday while making an indirect attack on Kishor, without taking his name.
Sharply reacting over Modi’s tweet, Kishor on Tuesday made a frontal attack on the Bihar deputy CM. “It is pleasant experience to listen discourses on political propriety and ideology from Sushil Modi who became deputy CM by virtue of circumstances despite the defeat in 2015,” Kishor wrote on his Twitter handle on Tuesday morning.
“It's the people of Bihar who have decided on Nitish Kumar's leadership and the largest role for the JD(U) and not any other party or its top leadership,” Kishor said in the opening line of his tweet.
Kishor was being criticized also within his party for issuing “untimely” statement on seat-sharing. “Two things are clear about the 2020 polls. First, election will be fought under the leadership of Nitish Babu. Second, seat-sharing is not something that will be decided in full media glare,” JD(U) general secretary (Organisation) RCP Singh said on Monday in Gaya district while voicing disapproval of Kishor’s statement on seat-sharing.
“Some people have a habit of issuing statements over every issue. I do not have much to say about such people but this (seat-sharing) is untimely. People should refrain from raising such matters prematurely,” RCP Singh, who is considered close to Nitish Kumar, said without taking name of Kishor.
RCP was responding to media query on Kishor’s statement over the ratio of seat-sharing between JD(U) and BJP, during a JD(U) programme at Manpur in Gaya district on Monday.