Patna:
Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi suggested today that his model of development for Gujarat can be tweaked to help states like Bihar. Unsurprisingly, the tip has not gone down well in Bihar, where Mr Modi's party, the BJP, runs the government with senior partner Nitish Kumar.
"Mr Modi said that there can't be one model which can be replicated across the country," said Sushil Kumar Modi, who is from the BJP and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. "There are several features that other states can take from Bihar, like reservation for women in village panchayats," he said, rebuffing the Gujarat chief minister to echo Mr Kumar, who has in the past said models of developed states like Gujarat cannot be thrust upon a backward state like his own.
Today, while addressing industrialists in Kolkata, Mr Modi was asked if the much-lauded Gujarat model of development could be successfully applied to a largely agriculture-based state like Bihar. Mr Modi answered, "The philosophy and direction are the same, it only needs modification." A beat, and then he added, "Not MODI-fication." The audience laughed.
As Deputy Chief Minister, Sushil Kumar Modi has the unenviable task of keeping Mr Kumar happy in the face of a loudening clamour within the BJP for the Gujarat Chief Minister to be declared his party's nominee for Prime Minister.
Mr Kumar, a senior leader of the Janata Dal (United), has said that could force him to split with the BJP. Mr Kumar relies heavily on Bihar's Muslims, who form 15% of the population, to stay in power.
The rift between the two chief ministers is exacerbated by speculation that Mr Kumar would also like to run for the country's top job, a theory he has shot down in public.