Amid Attacks From BJP, Sushil Modi's Compliments For Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's re-election as the chief of his party, the Janata Dal United, has brought cheer to alliance leaders who have faith in his leadership. Among the first to extend compliments was his deputy, the BJP's Sushil Kumar Modi - and his praise was on issues his party colleague Giriraj Singh is using to attack Mr Kumar, chiefly the waterlogging in Patna.

As the waterlogging in the capital entered its ninth day, Sushil Kumar Modi said the state government is "doing all it can to help the people affected". Mr Kumar, he said in a tweet, has "turned challenges of disaster into opportunities to serve the people.

His tweet in Hindi read: "Congratulations to Nitish Kumar for being elected national president of NDA ally Janata Dal United. He has given new heights to justice with development in Bihar and turned challenges of disaster into opportunities to serve the people. Nitish-ji being elected to the top spot of the party will strengthen the NDA".

Immediately after the incessant rains over the last four days of September, the floating carcasses of animals had triggered concerns of vector-borne diseases. Now there is a dengue outbreak, with 775 cases being reported from Patna alone.

The intense public anger over the situation has fuelled attacks not just from the opposition, but a section of BJP leaders, led by Union minister Giriraj Singh. "When captain gets the clap, then he should also get the flak for any mismanagement," Mr Singh recently said.

Sources in the party have indicated that the faction led by Mr Singh, who represents Begusarai in Parliament, hope to dislodge Nitish Kumar as the face of the NDA in the state.

Mr Kumar has been the chief minister of the state for 14 years - which includes the four years when he had broken off the alliance. Even for the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, he was the undisputed leader of the NDA in the state, managing to get the BJP to meet his demand for a 50:50 seat division.

But after the party's massive victory, Mr Kumar was snubbed by the BJP's central leadership when he wanted more than a token representation in the Union government. Now, with less than a year to go for the state election, a section of BJP leaders want the state's top post to come to the party.

Sources said with his tweets, Sushil Modi tried to dispel any confusion about unity of NDA, declaring that Mr Kumar's primacy in his party will strengthen the NDA. Privately, he has conveyed to key leaders that Giriraj Singh's views were his own and had no endorsement from the central leadership.