Nitish's JDU & Paswan's LJP's war-of-words escalates before Bihar polls; BJP tight-lipped

Ahead of assembly polls in Bihar, relationship between two NDA partners - Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Janta Dal-United (JDU) - appears to have turned sour. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan's son Chirag Paswan who w heads LJP has publically targeted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, especially for 'mismanment' during COVID pandemic, for migrant crisis that began due to Coronavirus-induced lockdown, and increasing crime rate in state.

While JDU has refuted remarks and has compared Chirag to 'Kalidasa' who chops branch of tree on which he is sitting, LJP has made it clear that it will decide if party wants to contest upcoming polls with Nitish Kumar's JDU. 

As power tussle spills out into open with poll campaign kickstarting in state, JDU leader KC Tyagi on Tuesday said that any party which is a part of NDA in state will have to accept Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership, ting that top BJP leaders, including Amit Shah and its president JP Nadda, have anunced that alliance will fight upcoming Bihar assembly polls under Kumar's stewardship.

Responding on same, in a statement, LJP has w said that Tyagi has done m a 'favour' by making it clear that two parties have never had any alliance. "We welcome this statement from JDU that his party has never had any alliance with LJP. JDU leader KC Tyagi has done us a favour," LJP said in a statement.

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While BJP has already anunced that NDA will contest polls under leadership of CM Nitish Kumar, Lok Janshakti Party has said that it will decide for itself. Chirag Paswan led LJP met on September 7 and sources said that y have decided to contest on 143 seats. Sources say if NDA does t agree to ir poll terms, y may contest upcoming elections against ruling JDU.

Interestingly, poster launched by LJP for upcoming polls talks about Bihar being led by youth and has a quote that reads: "Vo lad rahe hain hum par raj karne ke liye aur hum lad rahe hain Bihar par naj karne ke liye" which roughly translates to "y are fighting to rule while we are fighting to be proud of our Bihar." While it remains unclear as to who is party attempting to target through aforementioned quote, it should be ted that Nitish Kumar is ruling Bihar for 15 years and contesting for his reelection. Moreover, LJP is also seemingly challenging  social engineering of JDU, which is relevant in Bihar elections, by ar quote in its poster "Dharam na jaat, kare sabki baat" (Neir religion r caste, let's talk about all).

Both Chirag Paswan's LJP and Nitish Kumar's JDU have clarified, however, that y will stick to alliance with BJP in Bihar. It remains to be seen how and when  BJP leadership steps in to quell ongoing tussle between LJP and JDU.

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Bihar Elections 2020

Amid rising COVID-19 cases, Bihar is all set to go to polls for a 243-member assembly seat in October-vember.  Election Commission has issued directives to conduct election amid COVID, however, dates are yet to be anunced. In 2015 assembly polls, CM Nitish Kumar's JDU, n a part of Mahagathbandhan won 71 seats, Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD won 80 seats, and Congress won 27 seats. BJP which fought elections alone after Kumar in 2013 broke 17-year-old alliance won a mere 53 seats out of 157 contested. However, saffron party came back to power when Kumar ditched Mahagathbandhan and once again stitched an alliance with BJP.

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