New Delhi: The undercurrent of friction between the BJP and the JD(U) became more apparent on Monday when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar skipped the oath-taking ceremony of president Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi.
This is not the first time that Nitish Kumar skipped such an important event. Earlier also, the Bihar Chief Minister skipped several functions hosted by BJP`s top brass.
On July 17, he even missed a meeting of Chief Ministers called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while on Friday, he skipped dinner for outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind, hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Defending Kumar’s absence, Janata Dal-United parliamentary board chief Upendra Kushwaha asserted that the chief minister is not bound to attend all the events.
“Going to an oath ceremony is just a formality. It is not necessary to attend every event,” Kushwaha said.
Responding to the proposed visit of BJP leaders Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda to Patna for a high-level meeting of the party ahead of Lok Sabha election 2024, Kushwaha stated, “In Bihar, Nitish Kumar is the biggest leader. It hardly matters for us if any top leader of another party is coming to Bihar.”
The statement of Kushwaha on Amit Shah indicates that all is not well between BJP and JD-U in Bihar.