BJP-JD(U) Rift In Bihar Out In The Open Once Again
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
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By Linus Garg
First publised on 2022-07-11 08:35:01
About the Author
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
View all posts by this Author
The rift between the BJP and the JD(U) in Bihar is once again out in the open over the transfer of 149 circle officers in the revenue and land reforms department (RLRD). The RLRD minister Ram Surat Rai, who is from the BJP, had issued orders for the transfer of these officers but the chief minister's office (CMO) stopped the transfers. This led Ram Surat Rai to adopt a tough posture on the issue, even offering to quit. Deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad was deputed by the BJP to reach out to Rai and placate him. Officially, the party said that chief minister Nitish Kumar will find a solution to the problem.
While it is obvious that the chief minister is the final authority in such matters, it is also clear that the dispute signals a breakdown in both cooperation and communication between the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues. A major decision in any department that envisages the wholesale transfer of circle officers has to be discussed internally before the order is issued. Although a cabinet minister has independent charge of his department and can take independent decisions, in an alliance government (especially in one that is increasingly being seen as falling apart), such decisions need approvals from the chief minister's office.
The BJP is having a tough time in keeping the alliance going in Bihar but it is obvious that at the moment, it feels that there is no alternative. Although the situation in Bihar is worsening by the day, the BJP is prevented from acting due to the increasing influence of RJD (with 4 AIMIM MLAs joining the party recently making it the single largest party in the assembly) and the growing bonhomie between Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav. Kumar is known to change partners frequently and the BJP cannot antagonize him before the Presidential elections. But given the fact that BJP leaders in the state are angry with Nitish Kumar, the high command will have to renegotiate the terms of the alliance with the JD(U) supremo, sooner rather than later.
