TROUBLE IN THE ALLIANCE

The Janata Dal (United) office in Patna had an important visitor on January 7.

- Amitabh Srivastava

Officially, Bhupender Yadav, BJP national general secretary and the party’s Bihar in-charge, had come down to congratulate the new JD(U) national president, Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, who took over the post from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on December 27. But there was more to the meeting.

Just days ago, Singh had described the JD(U) as a party that “neither cheats nor conspires against anybody”. The remark was a barely disguised dig at the BJP over its move on December 26 to induct six legislators of the JD(U) in Arunachal Pradesh. The development has reportedly caused a rift in the ruling alliance in Bihar, and Yadav’s visit was part of the BJP’s effort to placate its old ally. A Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan who enjoys the confidence of the BJP central leadership, Yadav has emerged as a key party face in Bihar after former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi was shifted to the Upper House last year.