Reflect a little, JD(U) counsels Congress

PATNA: JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha asked Congress on Friday to “do some introspection about its stand towards other constituents and sharing of seats” amid intense speculation over the collapse of Bihar’s Grand Alliance government.

Before the important party legislators’ meeting on Sunday, there are rumors that a senior JD(U) minister close to chief leader Nitish Kumar was in contact with a few of the 19 Congress MLAs to gain their confidence before declaring the party’s intention to form government with the BJP.
In an attempt to take the lead against the PM Narendra Modi-led NDA in the Lok Sabha polls, Nitish broke with the BJP in August 2022 and united the opposition parties at the Patna summit in June of last year. However, despite JD(U) stating that time was running out, Congress and his Bihar allies, RJD head Lalu Prasad, neither offered Nitish the role he felt he deserved in the opposition INDIA group nor had any meaningful talks on seat-sharing.
“Our leader, Nitish Kumar, has for long been stressing the need for early finalization of a seat-sharing deal so that we can concentrate on the upcoming polls,” the JD(U) state chairman said on Friday in light of this. Gopal Mandal of JD(U) said that Nitish was not treated with the respect he deserved in the Grand Alliance.