WAQF BILL: BOUQUET FOR BJP, BRICKBATS FOR ALLIES

Support for controversial legislation is likely to hurt prospects of BJP's partners in states such as Bihar and Andhra Pradesh

- BY NIDHI RAZDAN | Special to Gulf News

The passage of the controversial Waqf amendment act in India's parliament would not have been possible without the support of two key allies of the BJP — the Janata Dal (United) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), who have 28 lawmakers between them.

Both parties have had a substantial share of the Muslim vote in their respective states, and their support for this contentious legislation could hit them hard, particularly the JDU, which is facing elections in Bihar in just a few months from now. The first casualty for the JDU was the resignation of a senior party leader on Thursday who wrote a scathing letter criticising the party's stand on the bill.

The deep dilemma