(From left) Nand Kishore, Giriraj and Ashwini

Patna, April 19: The government is just two-and-a-half years into its new term, but BJP ministers say being a part of Nitish Kumar’s team is like “dragging a dead body”.

The unease between the NDA allies in Bihar is such that BJP ministers in the state say they are waiting for the day the chief minister “throws us out”.

BJP ministers hold key portfolios in the government, those of road construction, finance, health and urban development for example. But no one can quite say with certainty how long they will be a part of the government. As a result, their heart is not quite in the job, as a senior BJP minister admitted.

According to informed sources, the chief minister has asked senior officials to ensure there is no impact on governance due to the rift. “However, in an uncertain atmosphere, governance does take a beating. The minister tends to lose interest in his job and lacks the drive to execute work because he does not know if he will remain tomorrow or not. Several files tend to get stuck,” remarked a senior official.

“I have never come across such a situation in my 45 years as an official. I am not in a position to say if this government is stable or not. But uncertainty and instability have adverse effects on governance. The bureaucrats virtually stop functioning by sitting on files and delaying decisions,” said retired IAS officer V.S. Dubey, who has been the chief secretary of both Bihar and Jharkhand.

What makes it worse is that nobody knows how long the stalemate will persist. JD(U) leaders are waiting for the BJP ministers to quit. The BJP is waiting for Nitish to axe them. “Technically we have given the BJP till the month of December to announce their prime ministerial candidate. It can be presumed that this government will last till December,” remarked a JD(U) MP.

The BJP, though, appears unwilling to oblige the JD(U). “Let the JD(U) throw us out of the ministry. We will go to the people telling them that it was Nitish Kumar who came to us for an alliance and now that his purpose is served, he has thrown us out,” said a BJP leader, who did not wish to be named.

But both the BJP and JD(U) are careful not to be seen as the wrecker of such an old alliance.

State BJP chief Mangal Pandey even issued a gag order on party ministers, MPs and legislators from issuing any statement on the alliance or the PM candidate. Sources said the gag order was issued at BJP chief Rajnath Singh’s behest. “There are persons authorized to speak on these issues,” Pandey said.

He said that the party’s core committee meeting in Delhi to decide the future of the JD(U)-BJP alliance stressed that it “has met the aspirations of over 10 crore people of Bihar and the state has progressed under the NDA government.” The BJP favours continuation of the alliance.

Road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav, who returned from the Delhi meeting today told The Telegraph: “Till now the alliance still exists.”

Nand Kishore was candid enough to admit that he had been able to attend office for only one day this week. “There is no hindrance in carrying out my work as a minister. Tomorrow (Saturday), I will be laying the foundation stone for two roads in Patna,” he said.

BJP ministers swear they will “work as long as they are in the ministry”.

However, the element of uncertainty is a dampener. “Being a minister in the Nitish Kumar government now is like dragging a dead body. One does not know when we will be asked to leave it,” said a BJP minister. The staff retinue of most BJP ministers stress that their bosses were looking into routine files. “Clearing routine files is considered safe as it does not evoke any controversy even if a minister demits office,” said an aide of a BJP minister.

Labour resources minister Janardan Singh Sigriwal said he was carrying on like a professional.

“I do not have the power to decide if I can leave the ministry or not. I am just doing my work. Since last Sunday, I have been to my office twice to dispose of my files. I would like my schemes for social security for the poor to become a ground realty. But there has been no rush to clear files,” said Sigriwal, stressing that he would continue to work as long as he remains in the ministry. “The moment the party leadership decides that we should leave the ministry, I will quit instantly,” was his emphatic afterthought.

Animal and fish resources minister Giriraj Singh, one of the most vocal voices in the BJP demanding Narendra Modi’s candidature as PM, has been working from home as his office is under renovation. “The present political crisis has not affected my functioning,” Giriraj said. “Jab tak kaam karna hain kaam karna hain, We have to work till we have to work. Only God and our senior leaders know whether the coalition will continue or not.”

Giriraj’s cabinet colleague, tourism minister Sunil Kumar ‘Pintu’, was more vocal. “There is nothing certain about life, right now I am going to office but I don’t know whether I will reach office or not,” he said. “The same can be said about our coalition, whether it will survive or break.” But he hastened to add that one cannot stop working in anticipation that the government will fall.

Even health minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey said the present political crisis is not affecting work. Talking to The Telegraph from New Delhi, Choubey said: “I have been discharging my duties as usual.”

The minister said he attended the cabinet meeting on Wednesday and visited Gaya, Nawada and Nalanda for the Jan Chetna Yatra — a programme of the health department.

Art, culture and youth affairs minister Sukhda Pandey’s office wore a deserted look on Thursday. An employee of her office said “Madam” had come to office on Wednesday but was presently in Khagaria. He did not know why she was in Khagaria though.

The Opposition is having a field day. ”The Nitish government has gone into a coma,” guffawed RJD chief Lalu Prasad.

The JD(U) is appealing to BJP ministers to maintain decency and dignity of a cabinet member and not criticise the chief minister from a public forum.