Bihar’s deputy chief minister, Sushil Modi, has put his shoulder to the lurching JD(U)-BJP alliance even at the risk of defying the currently stated position in the BJP. In an exclusive interview with Nalin Verma of The Telegraph, Modi flatly denied that Gujarat chief minister and Nitish Kumar’s bete noire, Narendra Modi, had been invited to address the “Hunkar Rally” the BJP proposes to hold in April 2013. Sushil Modi went on to add that “more than Nitish Kumar, the BJP central leadership had decided not to engage Narendra Modi” in Bihar. Sushil Modi’s remarks become significant in light of renewed hostilities between Bihar’s ruling allies. The arrowhead of current tensions came from no less than state BJP boss C.P. Thakur, who announced a few days ago that Narendra Modi had been invited for the “Hunkar Rally”. A day before that, Thakur had also announced, unilaterally, that the BJP was preparing itself to contest all 40 of Bihar’s Lok Sabha seats in the next general elections. The JD(U) has responded by saying it too is prepared to go it alone. There has, though, been no direct riposte yet from anybody senior on the move to invite Narendra Modi. The deputy chief minister is a known proponent of the JD(U)-BJP alliance and has often been blamed in BJP circles for putting the interests of the coalition government before the interests of the BJP. Between the language C.P Thakur has been speaking and the tone Sushil Modi adopted in this interview, differences of line within the BJP become apparent. Excerpts:
TT: Has the Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi, been invited to the BJP’s “Hunkar Rally” in April?
Sushil Modi: No
Your state party chief, C.P. Thakur, has announced to the media about Narendra Modi’s presence at the rally...
The rally is still six months away. The party is seized with the membership drive that is in progress. No formal meeting in the party has so far taken place about the invitees. And it is the central leadership that will eventually take a call on the invitees. C.P. Thakur is a simple and clear-hearted person. The problem is some media-persons don’t clearly comprehend what he says and end up misquoting him. Thakur sahib is a staunch protagonist of the alliance and he will not do anything detrimental to the NDA.
But he (Thakur) has stated that the BJP is making preparations in all the 40 Lok Sabha seats for the 2014 elections...
What is wrong with it? The BJP has its cadres in all the districts and constituencies and so has the JD(U). The cadres do prepare for the polls and eventually support the candidate chosen or agreed on by the party — be it from its own ranks or from the ally.
There are obvious signals of growing trust deficit in the JD(U)-BJP alliance with Nitish Kumar neither naming the BJP nor the NDA during his Adhikar Yatras...
Make no mistake. Nitishji is as staunch an exponent of the alliance as any other BJP leader is. He will do nothing to hurt the alliance. And he will do everything to save the alliance that has pulled Bihar out of the morass, restoring its dignity. Right now, he is communicating with his JD(U) cadres in connection with the special category status to the state. Despite working in alliance, the JD(U) and BJP are two different and distinct political entities. Not taking the name of the BJP at his party’s meetings does not amount to ignoring or hurting the alliance.
But Nitish’s anathema to Narendra Modi is well known... he (Nitish) has time and again barred Narendra Modi from campaigning in the polls in the state besides making it obvious that the BJP should declare a “secular” face as Prime Minister ahead of elections
More than Nitish, it is the BJP central leadership that decided at the very outset not to engage him (Narendra Modi) in Bihar. There is nothing personal in it. Given the social composition, ground reality and the NDA’s political interest in the state, the BJP central leadership did not think it wise to employ him (Narendra Modi) in Bihar. And there is no reason for the party to amend its strategy now. As regards the party’s prime ministerial candidate, the BJP high command has convincingly communicated to Nitish that he would be consulted with regard to it and his views will be taken care of. Nitish is the strongest NDA ally and the BJP respects that.
Is Nitish laying too much emphasis on a “secular” candidate for Prime Minister?
The BJP-led NDA had its chance to pick a Prime Minister. India saw the Prime Minister the party picked. It was Atal Bihari Vajpayee — the large-hearted, all accommodative, liberal statesman. If the BJP gets the chance again to have its Prime Minister, it will make an endeavour to have someone like Vajpayee. Known for its plurality, the country cannot afford to have anyone other than a liberal and all accommodative face as its Prime Minister. And the BJP has many leaders who believe in a liberal and inclusive ethos.
You are ruling out Narendra Modi from the prime ministerial race?
No comment. I have stated what I have to state. And I believe that I have stated what the BJP stands for...
What do you think of Nitish Kumar? Does he deserve to be PM?
Yes, he is a popular and performing chief minister and deserves to be PM. But he has himself made it clear time and again that he is not in the race and he wants the BJP — the biggest alliance partner — to have its prime ministerial candidate.
Animal and fish resources minister Giriraj Singh invariably bats for Narendra Modi and even utters words that create bad blood in the alliance...
I won’t take names. But no leader has the sanction from the party high command to speak or work against the alliance. Someone might be airing his personal views. Such leaders are under the party’s scanner.
BJP MP from Purnea, Uday Singh, organised a “Vedna Rally” venting his ire against the government...
I told you that such leaders were under the scanner of the party. The BJP will act tough against the leaders doing damage to the alliance through their words or actions.
Nitish is facing a lot of opposition at his Adhikar Yatra meetings. Is his charisma on the wane?
These are all orchestrated by our opponents. Nitish will successfully reply to it at the JD(U)’s November 4 rally in Patna. You will see it will be a massive rally.
Lalu Prasad is sniffing a chance given the people’s opposition to Nitish. He is also confident that the JD(U)-BJP ties will break up eventually and help him...
Lalu symbolised anarchy and he was rightly shown the door. There is no reason for the people who rejected him to bring him back. And we (BJP and JD-U) are not fools to do something that suits Lalu. Let him daydream.
About the BJP’s Hunkar rally...
Yes, we are preparing for it. The JD(U) rally is to press for special category status to the state. The BJP’s rally will have a wider spectrum. Our rally will expose how the Congress-led central government has successively handed out step-motherly treatment to Bihar. The rally will also focus on the issue of widespread corruption and rise in the prices of essential commodities.
