'Strain' between BJP, Nitish Kumar's party visible, says RJD

Reports of strained ties between the BJP and Janata Dal-United (JDU) in Bihar have raised the political temperature with key opposition parties uniting in lashing out at the two parties.

Bihar's main opposition party RJD has alleged that the current situation reaffirms that the public has been cheated.

"Though it is an internal issue of these two parties, it cannot be denied that these two parties came together to betray people of Bihar. This is why the public has to bear the brunt of political strain between these two parties," RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha told ANI.

Congress leader Tariq Anwar outlined JDU's missing representation from the Union Cabinet to assert that everything doesn't seem right between the two parties.

"Nitish Kumar is teaching BJP a lesson. He refused its offer of giving one cabinet birth in Central cabinet to JDU and later expanded the Bihar cabinet by completely side-lining the BJP legislators.

This makes it evident that not everything is right between two alliance partners and in coming times Nitish Kumar can create problems for BJP. He has already hinted that he has other options", said Anwar.

Previously, RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha had taken a jibe at the JDU-BJP alliance by stating that BJP must be ready for a ''second betrayal'' from Nitish Kumar.

However, JDU has already refuted claims of having a strained relationship with BJP.

The JDU on May 30 decided to not be a part of Prime Minister Modi's new ministry, rejecting the BJP's offer of only one ministerial berth.

"BJP wanted only one person from the JDU in the Cabinet. It would have been just symbolic participation. We informed them that we do not need the Cabinet berth," Chief Minister Kumar had said.

The JDU chief, who later attended PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony on May 30, had said, "It is not a big issue. We are in the NDA and are not upset at all. We are working together. There is no confusion."

On Sunday, it was reported that BJP leaders skipped the yearly iftar hosted by JDU. Similarly, no JDU leader was seen at the iftar hosted by Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi.

The iftar parties in Bihar have gained traction this year after JDU refused to be a part of Union Cabinet. However, Nitish Kumar has repeatedly denied any misunderstanding between the NDA allies.

NDA made a clean sweep in the state in the recently held Lok Sabha polls by winning 39 out of the 40 seats at stake.

-ANI