Fissures in NDA alliance in Bihar? Manjhi says BJP not giving importance to allies

Patna: After losing the state elections to Grand Alliance, fissures in NDA alliance in Bihar are now visible. BJP’s ally HAM leader Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday said that the grand old party does not give importance to its alliance partners.

“If the BJP does not give us the importance we deserve, we should be prepared to get under one name, one flag and strike out an individual political course,” Manjhi was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

 “It seems like that we are members of one family but our kitchens are separate and we are going our own way. This is not proper. We treat BJP as our elder brother but it does not give us any importance,” the former chief minister of Bihar added while making references to the Loktantrik Janata Party (LJP) led by Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Rashtriya Loktantrik Samata Party (RLSP) led by Upendra Kumar Kushwaha.

Manjhi was one of the top Dalit leaders picked up by the BJP to gain Dalit vote share during the state elections.

Further, proving the worth of allies, Manjhi said, “Even if we get together under one name and flag, it can only help the NDA, for we as a separate group can help the NDA in Assam and stop the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party from coming back to power in Uttar Pradesh. Me, Ram Vilas or Upendra Kushwaha -- any of us can be the leader of such a group.”

Meanwhile, rebuffing Manjhi’s claim, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said that the party holds highest regards for its alliance partners.