Rift between BJP and JD(U) in Bihar widens

Patna, Jan 17 (IANS) Relationship between the BJP and its ruling alliance partner JD(U) in Bihar appears to be souring by the day with the leaders trading barbs on the social media platforms and threatening to part ways.

Taking a dig at the JD(U), national general secretary of BJP OBC wing Nikhil Anand tweeted: "The smaller groups cannot understand the working style of big parties. They are not clear about their own identity whether they belong to a small or a big group. The day doesn't seem far when they would have to search for a new place."

Anand's statement meant that the BJP which has 74 seats in Bihar Legislative Assembly have employed Nitish Kumar-led JDU to run the government in the state despite the latter having only 45 seats. However, he refrained from naming any leader in his tweet.

In a prompt retort, Abhishek Jha, the youngest spokesperson of JD(U) said: "@Nikhil Anand JI: People should give statements according to their stature. If you spit at the sky, it falls on you. Please clean it up. God may help you."

Jha had targeted BJP state chief Sanjay Agrawal on January 12 when he raised questions over his visit in a village in West Champaran to console family members who lost their loved one in a poisonous liquor tragedy.

After a liquor tragedy in chief minister's district Nalanda on January 15 which claimed 13 lives, state BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal had slammed Nitish Kumar government for the failure of his pet project liquor ban in the state.

He said that the nexus of senior officials, police and mafias are responsible for the failure of liquor ban in the state.