Bihar: Nitish Kumar claims 'BJP tried weakening JDU' ahead of split; saffron party replies

Before ditching the National Democratic Alliance to join hands with the Grand Alliance, Republic learnt that Nitish Kumar had convened a meeting of the Janata Dal-United (JDU). In the meeting that took place in Patna, Kumar had told the party MPs and MLAs that JDU was humiliated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sources told the Channel that Kumar, in the meeting, also alleged that the BJP tried to break JDU at the behest of former Union Minister RCP Singh. 

Now, the BJP has responded to the allegations. Speaking to the media, BJP's Shahnawaz Hussain said, "We strengthen our own party, we don't weaken any other party. We are going to Patna...The party will make an official statement, I will not."

The fallout of BJP-JDU 

The bickering in the alliance started with the 2020 Bihar Assembly election in which NDA emerged victorious in 125 seats as against the 110 seats won by the Mahagatbandhan. BJP, RJD, JDU, and Congress won 74, 75, 43, and 19 seats respectively. LJP is believed to have damaged JDU's prospects in 32 seats despite bagging a solitary seat. As BJP won more seats than JDU for the first time in a Bihar Assembly election, it was perceived that JDU's clout in the alliance diminished. 

JDU has not been on the same page with the BJP on issues such as Ayodhya, Article 370, Uniform Civil Code, triple talaq, NRC and legislative measures for population control and the Agnipath scheme. But the friction between the two parties increased after corruption allegations against former Union Minister RCP Singh, who resigned from the party after a show-cause notice was issued to him.