New Delhi: In the last few days, the ties between the BJP and the JD(U) have taken a turn for the worse. Both the parties have been talking potshots at each other. The BJP on Tuesday claimed that spontaneous support by people made 'Bihar bandh' called by it successful and held Chief Minister Nitish Kumar responsible for the violence during the shutdown, called to protest against the JD(U)'s 'betrayal'.
The BJP also alleged that Nitish Kumar instructed JD(U) workers to attack BJP women protestors. "JD(U) workers even attacked BJP women protestors. JD(U) leaders identified women BJP workers and attacked them. All this was done under instructions of Nitish Kumar and senior JD(U) leaders," Mangal Pandey said.
BJP leaders and workers took to the streets to observe 'Vishwasghat Diwas' (Betrayal Day) and protest against the Janata Dal (United) pulling out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The party had called for Bihar bandh and its workers and leaders tried to enforce it in several areas of the state leading to clashes with JD(U) activists, who tried to thwart their attempts.
Violence was reported during the bandh which got massive response in several cities and affected normal life as road and rail traffic was severely hit in the state.
Senior BJP leaders including CP Thakur, Sushil Kumar Modi, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain and more than 500 party workers were detained as the party enforced the day-long bandh across the state.
The bandh affected normal life with BJP workers forcing closure of shops, market places and disrupting movement of trains in the districts like Darbhanga and Nalanda - the native district of the Chief Minister, official sources said. Bandh supporters also blocked roads in Aurangabad, Purnia, Muzaffarpur and other districts.
In Patna, the shutdown evoked mixed response with busy roads like Ashok Rajpath, Bailey Road, Patna-Danapur Road and Fraser Road being blocked. Shops and markets were also closed in some areas.
Several incidents of clashes were reported after BJP workers objected to a group of JD(U) workers led by the state unit spokesman Rajiv Ranjan marching towards their office apparently to obstruct their agitation.
Senior BJP leaders including CP Thakur, Sushil Kumar Modi, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Syed Shahnawaz Hussain were detained at Dak Bunglow chowk in Patna. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said his party has taken to the streets in Bihar as people were feeling "deeply humiliated and cheated" since they had given the mandate to JD(U)-BJP to govern.
"We were governing very well. And suddenly, only because of ego and arrogance, you sought to break this alliance. Therefore, the people are really feeling very deceived. And to articulate that concern, we have hit the streets today," he said in Patna.
On 'Brand Modi' taking BJP through in the Lok Sabha polls, Prasad said, "Narendra Modi is a very popular leader because of his governance, because of his integrity, because of his leadership...Whether he will become the Prime Ministerial candidate or not is a question which has to be decided by the party's Parliamentary Board."
However, a police official said, "Normal life was not hit by BJP's shutdown in Patna and other district headquarters across the state."
Bandh successful across state, claims BJP.
Describing the bandh as "the biggest observed in Bihar since Emergency", party leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said, "This is the beginning of the downfall of the Nitish government. We have not see such a massive shutdown earlier and JD(U) people will agree with me regarding the intensity of the bandh."
Talking to reporters, Bihar unit BJP chief Mangal Pandey charged that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had instigated JD(U) workers to foil the BJP-sponsored bandh and attack its workers.
Protester halt trains, block national highways
Several trains were forcibly halted and national highway blocked Tuesday as BJP workers and leaders began a state-wide shutdown to protest the "betrayal" by ruling party Janata Dal-United (JD-U) that ended its 17-year-old alliance on Sunday after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was elevated as the Central Election Campaign chief.
The BJP workers stopped half a dozen trains, including long route trains, at different railway stations across the state. "Several trains were halted," a police officer said.
Roads, including the national highway, were blocked at various places across the state. "The strike supporters, mostly BJP workers, blocked important roads, including the national highway and state highways, at various place," said a police official.
Meanwhile, amid hectic political activities, Nitish Kumar will seek a confidence vote on Wednesday at a special session of Bihar Assembly to prove his majority after JD(U) parted ways with ally BJP. Assembly sources said though the session has been called for passing some Bill or other important issues, this would be first occasion of its kind in the state in which an incumbent government has to seek confidence of the House.
Kumar, in the capacity of the Leader of the House, would move a motion seeking vote of confidence which would be put to vote, if need be, after discussion. Arrangements were being made in the House to place BJP MLAs in the opposition bench in the changed circumstances. After sacking 11 BJP ministers from his Cabinet, Kumar had met Governor DY Patil on Sunday and requested him to call a special session of the Assembly.
Going by numbers, there is no threat to the Nitish Kumar government as it has the required strength. In the 243-member House, JD(U) has 118 members, including Speaker, BJP 91, RJD 22, Congress 4, LJP and CPI one each and Independents 6.
JD(U) needs support of four more MLAs to reach the magic figure of 122. It has already got support of four Independents who had attended a JD(U) meeting on Monday where party president Sharad Yadav was also present.
Lone LJP member Zakir Hussain Khan has also voiced his support to Nitish Kumar in the event of voting as he does not want to be seen with "communal BJP".
Of the two remaining Independents, Dilip Verma from Sikta in West Champaran district had gone on record saying he would side with BJP and vote against JD(U) as "the country needs Narendra Modi today".
The sixth Independent Jyoti Rashmi from Dehri in Rohtas district has still not made up her mind. Her husband and former MLA Pradeep Joshi said she would vote for the government only if it bans liquor trade.
With Additional Inputs from PTI, IANS
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