Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi Wants BJP, JD(U) to Forget 'Ill-Will, Distrust' in Crucial Election Year
In a statement issued by him on New Year's Day, Modi said that it is imperative for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to remain united for the progress and development of Bihar. The recent spats, he conceded, has created some 'bitterness' between the JD(U) and the BJP. The Deputy CM was, however, hopeful that the differences within the NDA partners would 'fade away'.
Patna, January 1: After exchanging heated verbal jibes with poll strategist and Janata Dal (United) vice-president Prashant Kishor, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi pitched for reconciliation between the two ruling alliance partners in the state. Modi, who is the Deputy Chief Minister in the Nitish Kumar-led government, said the two parties must forget the recent "ill-will and distrust" and work unitedly to win the assembly elections later this year.
In a statement issued by him on New Year's Day, Modi said that it is imperative for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to remain united for the progress and development of Bihar. The recent spats, he conceded, has created some "bitterness" between the JD(U) and the BJP. The Deputy CM was, however, hopeful that the differences within the NDA partners would "fade away". Prashant Kishor Wants JD(U) to Seek '1:1.4 Seat-Sharing Deal' With BJP For Bihar Assembly Elections 2020.
"Let bygones be bygones," Modi said, adding that he would appeal the people of Bihar to give the NDA alliance led by JD(U)-BJP combine an absolute majority in the assembly elections, similar to the manner in which the coalition had won 39 out of 40 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Statement Issued by Sushil Modi
Notably, Modi and Kishor have been tweeting against each other over the past few days. The controversy was sparked after the JD(U) V-P marked his strong disapproval against the BJP for using religion as the criterion for naturalisation as per the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He also called the law, combined with the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizenship (NRC) exercise, as a "dangerous agenda" to target India's minorities.
The cracks within the Bihar NDA deepened after Kishor, while speaking to a news channel, said the JD(U) should contest higher number of seats as compared to the BJP. The two parties should either adopt a 1:1.4 seat-sharing formula or stick to the pact inked for 2010 assembly elections -- when the JD(U) had contested on 139 seats and the BJP on 102. This had prompted Modi to retaliation, stating that Kishor was violating the "coalition dharma".
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 01, 2020 11:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).