Is Nitish Kumar fast losing his ‘credibility’ by frequently supporting Narendra Modi?

PATNA: Much has been said and written in the media about Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s “growing proximity” with the BJP. The latest was his bizarre move to fill colours in the Lotus sketch of an artist at the ongoing Patna Book Fair without showing any sign of unease on his face.

Although the chief minister has denied any such closeness with the BJP, his move to frequently support policies of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and then sharing cool moments with the PM at the social functions have surely not gone down well within the people with secular mindset or the parties pursuing such ideologies.

Especially, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) headed by Dipankar Bhattacharya has strongly objected to such behavior of the Bihar chief minister and is totally against entering into any understanding with the JD-U which Kumar heads.

“BJP and JD-U are two sides of the same coin. Hence, ideologically no Leftist force can have any kind of understanding with JD-U. I can’t speak for others but so far as CPI-ML is concerned, the question of understanding with JD-U doesn’t exist,” CPI-ML general secretary Bhattacharya told the media today.

Bhattacharya is shocked at the way the Bihar CM looks all set to “restore” his friendship with the BJP given the fact that he and his party had been supporting the PM over the issue of demonetization and showing praises on Modi.

Not only the CPI-ML, even a section of the RJD leaders has strongly criticised the chief minister for supporting the policy of the Narendra Modi government and sharing “calm moments” with the PM in public—the last was seen during a Sikh event organized in Patna’s Gandhi Maidan last month.

The Congress is also said to be not happy with Kumar’s alleged move of hobnobbing with the BJP. Apparently this was the reason why the JD-U was kept out of the secular alliance in UP polls, prompting the JD-U to abruptly withdraw from poll arena after launching extensive poll campaigns for months.

Observers said the chief minister and his party apparently continued showering lavish praises on the PM and his policy with the move to put pressures on his allies, RJD and the Congress. Initially they looked under pressures too but ultimately JD-U strategy looks to have harmed its own image as the move has not gone down well either among the general masses or the parties with secular credentials.

“It’s very hard to trust JD-U now. It misused the mandate by breaking alliance with the BJP after winning elections and now again is behaving strangely by supporting BJP policies although the JD-U came to power with the support of RJD and the Congress,” is the general refrain.