Political temperature soars in Bihar after five JD(U) MLAs in Manipur jump to BJP
PATNA: The political temperature in Bihar soared after five JD(U) MLAs in Manipur jumped ship and joined the BJP. Reacting to the development, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday questioned the constitutionality of the alleged poaching by the BJP and called on all Opposition parties to unite in 2024 for a positive mandate. Meanwhile, a fuming JD(U) said it will move the High Court on the defection.
On Friday, the Manipur Assembly secretary K. Meghajit Singh issued a notification confirming the merger of five JD(U) MLAs. The JD(U) said that the five MLAs were scheduled to visit Patna to attend the party’s national executive meeting on Saturday.
Talking to reporters at the JD(U) office, where a two-day national executive meeting is underway, Kumar expressed outrage and questioned the BJP for poaching his MLAs in other states.
He said, "When we were in the NDA, they gave our MLAs nothing. Now they have been inducted into their party. You tell me is it proper? Is it constitutional? They keep doing this everywhere. They (Manipur MLAs) had earlier backed our decision to quit the NDA. They had also confirmed their presence at the meeting in Patna but the next day this happened."
Speaking with the media, Kumar said that he is making efforts to "bring all Opposition parties on one platform and they will see the result soon."
According to reports, the Bihar CM is likely to visit Delhi on September 5 and meet several Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Left leaders, among others.
The JD(U) MLAs who joined the BJP are Joykisan Singh, Ngursanglur Sanate, Achab Uddin, Thangjam Arunkumar and L.M. Khaute. In the recently held Assembly elections, the BJP secured a majority of 32 seats in the 60-member state Assembly.
Following the defection of the JD(U) MLAs, the strength of the BJP in the House has increased to 37.
The JD(U) leaders in Patna pointed out that the BJP in 2020 had also tried to make a dent in the party by inducting seven of its MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh. Recently, the lone JD(U) MLA from the state joined the BJP in the presence of their party's national president J.P. Nadda and chief minister Pema Khandu.
Accusing the BJP of using "dirty tricks," JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh said, "Nobody can stop the JD(U) from becoming a national party."
He alleged that the BJP used "Dhan bal" (money power) to poach MLAs and that the development in Manipur is similar to what they tried in Delhi, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
"Our party had defeated the BJP candidates in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. But they played all their tricks to poach our MLAs. They talk about morality but they poached our MLAs and tried to break our party in Arunachal Pradesh when we were still in the NDA," Mr Singh said.
"Instead of breaking other parties, they should worry about their fate in 2024. All Opposition parties will unite against them soon," Singh said.
Political observers say the defection is a major setback for the JD(U), which recently severed ties with the BJP-led NDA and formed the Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar, because the party has been attempting to project Mr. Kumar for a national role ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The JD(U) also rejected BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi’s "JD(U) mukt" Bihar jibe after the party lost its MLAs in Manipur and Arunachal.
"Like Arunachal and Manipur, you will see JD(U) Mukt Bihar as Lalu Yadav will break the party soon," Mr Modi said in a tweet.
The Rajya Sabha MP further said, "The MLAs in Arunachal and Manipur were not satisfied with Nitish Kumar’s decision to break alliance with the BJP. In other states also many MLAs of his party will rebel soon. Allegations that our party used money and power to break them are baseless. Are your MLAs for sale?"
