ED raids on IAS close to CM Nitish Kumar, is everything alright in Bihar NDA?

New Delhi: Differences within the ruling NDA alliance in Bihar are becoming a matter of concern for the BJP. Recently, the ED raids on the premises of an IAS officer considered close to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have created a stir in the political corridors of the state. However, all the parties of the NDA alliance officially say that the NDA is united and will remain so. But, recent developments are telling something else. The order of the Uttar Pradesh government to the hotels located on the Kanwar route to display the names of their owners has also been strongly opposed by BJP’s ally JDU. On the other hand, Bihar BJP leaders have demanded to issue a similar directive like UP in the NDA ruled state.There is a ruckus on the ‘name’ on Kanwar route till Bihar
BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul said there was no harm in displaying the name. Bachaul said, ‘If you have a business, what is the harm in displaying your name? The Bihar government should also implement the order on the Kanwar route like the UP government.’ A day earlier, JDU leader KC Tyagi had said that despite the Kanwar route being very large in Bihar, the state has never issued any such order.

Jitan Ram Manjhi also took a dig at Nitish Kumar
Recently, at a program held in Patna, Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha chief Jitan Ram Manjhi took a dig at Nitish Kumar. Manjhi said that in 2015, when he/she broke away from Kumar’s JDU and formed his/her own party, Kumar had mocked him/her. Addressing the program, Manjhi said, ‘he/she (Kumar) had said that I do not have money and I cannot run the party. Today my party is not only working, but is also progressing very fast.’

Manjhi also reminded how in 2023 Kumar had asked him/her to merge his/her party with JDU or leave NDA. he/she said, ‘I thank BJP and Narendra Modi. I not only joined NDA, but my son Santosh Kumar Suman became MLC and minister with three departments, which is much more than what JDU had offered me earlier.’ However, Manjhi later clarified that he/she is grateful to Nitish Kumar and will never say a word against him/her in future.

JDU is adamant on giving special state status to Bihar
On the issue of giving special status to Bihar, JDU is not only maintaining its old stand, but is also constantly raising this demand before the central government. On the other hand, BJP says that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always given more to Bihar. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary said, ‘Whatever is necessary for the development of Bihar, Prime Minister Modi will give it to the state. he/she has given special packages to Bihar in the past and Bihar is his/her priority.’

According to JD(U) sources, after the raids on premises linked to Bihar’s Principal Secretary (Energy) Sanjeev Hans, a senior JD(U) minister called up a deputy chief minister of Bihar and warned that such raids are not good and can lead to differences among allies. Both deputy chief ministers in Bihar are from the BJP.