- Chirag Paswan criticised law and order situation in Bihar under Nitish Kumar
- Mr Paswan also announced he will contest assembly polls despite being a Union Minister
- BJP plans to urge Mr Paswan to maintain NDA unity and clarify leadership stance
With the Bihar assembly election just months away, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is closely watching recent comments made by ally Chirag Paswan on the Nitish Kumar government's handling of the law and order situation in the state, sources said.
Mr Paswan, the chief of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), has also created a buzz with his announcement that he would contest the election despite being a Union minister. This has created confusion in the alliance, which includes Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), or JD(U).
Mr Paswan is set to meet the BJP leadership soon, sources said, adding they are likely to tell him to maintain NDA's unity and to be clear about leadership ahead of the election.
While Mr Paswan's style of working matches his persona of a young leader with a sharp attitude, it may create tension in the alliance, sources said. This would give the opposition Grand Alliance a chance to attack the Nitish Kumar government, apart from raising questions on what Mr Paswan has in mind about his future.
Although the BJP had told him earlier too that he would have to exercise restraint in view of the elections, this time it is preparing to say the same - but in a much louder, clearer manner, sources said, without giving details.
The BJP estimates the electoral battle between the two alliances in Bihar will be close, and the results could be affected by a few votes up and down. In such a situation, the unity of the NDA and speaking in one voice is very important, BJP sources said.
The groundwork for a unified campaign has been going on for a while now. Every rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an example of the NDA's unity, sources said, adding local leaders have organised programmes in every district.
The NDA has succeeded in giving the message that its candidates will contest on all 243 seats. Although there may be rebellion at some places at the time of ticket distribution, broadly there will be an effort to maintain NDA's unity, sources said.
The formula for seat sharing is also fixed and it will be finalised after the announcement of the election schedule, sources said. This is one of the reasons why Mr Paswan's strong comments have raised concerns in the NDA.
Experts say Mr Paswan's attitude is a double-edged sword. While he keeps Paswan votes united and boosts confidence of supporters, his comments put a question mark on Nitish Kumar's leadership.
Since the time of Ram Vilas Paswan, Chirag Paswan's ties with the JD(U) have not been smooth and the BJP has been mediating. Once again BJP is going to take over this responsibility.
The Move To Contest Assembly Elections
Chirag Paswan's supporters say he will contest the assembly elections. There is also speculation why a Union Minister would want to contest it, unless he is a contender for the chief minister's post.
For now, the possibility of this happening is bleak because the NDA has made it clear many times that the election will be fought under the leadership of Nitish Kumar.
The BJP clearly believes that Brand Nitish is intact.
