NDA allies in Bihar irked after LJP's Chirag Paswan gets BJP's invite for Budget meeting

In sharp reaction against NDA's invite to LJP chief Chirag Paswan for ally-meet, JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi, while speaking to PTI, said that it does t consider Paswan's party a member of NDA. LJP had walked out of NDA in Bihar last year due to its opposition to Nitish Kumar and contested state assembly polls on its own. It put up candidates in all seats where JD(U) was in fray while largely spared BJP except for a few seats. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi invited LJP chief Paswan for ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies meeting for Budget session, which was t attended by Paswan citing "health reasons."

move has however irked JDU, and Tyagi said, " LJP had worked against NDA's official candidates in assembly elections. It did t work merely against JD(U) but also against candidates of BJP and two or allies—Vikassheel Insaan Party and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular). This caused a lot of harm to NDA."

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had himself said (during polls) NDA in Bihar is working under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's leadership and this includes VIP and HAM. refore, we do t consider LJP a part of NDA," Tyagi added.

Moreover, former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-led HAM, which is close to JD(U), condemned decision to invite LJP to NDA meeting. "This is t appropriate at all. LJP stabbed NDA in back during polls. Manjhi Ji will w decide wher to continue to stay in NDA," party spokesperson Danish Rizwan said.

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BJP and JDU— political scenario in Bihar

This comes at backdrop of tensed relation between BJP and JDU in Bihar after JDU MLAs from Arunachal Pradesh joined saffron party. Though both sides have stated that political developments in Arunachal will t affect tie-up in Bihar, fissures are visible. Moreover, JDU has been claiming that LJP's statements against Nitish Kumar as reason for JDU's poor performance in recently concluded polls. LJP had quit NDA ahead of Bihar polls, owing to disagreement with Nitish Kumar. Paswan had said that he is PM Modi's "Hanuman", and had urged people of Bihar to vote against "tired" Nitish Kumar, a pitch similar to RJD's Tejashwi Yadav. reduced seats of JDU in elections led to BJP being "big-bror" in Bihar and even though Nitish was sworn-in as CM, BJP placed two Deputy CMs and cabinet expansion is in limbo. 

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