Why JDU doesn’t want to push NDA govt too hard over special status for Bihar

Even as the Opposition parties have been sceptical of the NDA government’s stability, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a key ally of the BJP, has sent a strong message that he has no plans of ditching the alliance.

Taking the first step to further consolidate its alliance with the BJP, the JDU under Kumar has decided to tone down its demand for special status or a special financial package for Bihar.

After leading a campaign for more than two decades, Kumar has decided to let the Union government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi take a call if it wants to grant special status or a special financial package to Bihar.

National executive meet

The decision was made on Saturday during the national executive of the JDU in Delhi where it was decided that the regional party would give the Union government an option to choose between the two demands.

“The decision of the JDU leadership to ask the Union government to decide if it wants to give special status or special financial assistance will only strengthen the alliance between the two parties. The resolution adopted by the JDU will further cement its position in the NDA and will send a strong message to the Opposition which has been trying to create the perception that NDA is not stable. We are with the NDA and will continue to be with them,” senior JDU leader Mahabali Singh told The Federal.

Senior JDU leaders will now meet Prime Minister Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to communicate the decision reached in the party’s national executive. “Now there would be no problem between the two alliance partners,” added Singh.

The resolution passed by the JDU is also significant because there were speculations that the long-standing demand of Nitish Kumar for special status and special financial assistance for Bihar will create problems in the NDA and the government will be under pressure to announce it in the Union budget that will be presented in July.

Working president for JDU

For the first time since its inception, the JDU leadership has decided that a new post of working president will be created in the party and former Bihar minister Sanjay Jha, who is now a Rajya Sabha MP, will be appointed the first working president of the party.

While Nitish Kumar will continue as the party president, the day-to-day functioning of JDU will be managed by Jha. The choice of Jha is also interesting because he was the protégé of senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley. Jha worked as a crucial link between Jaitley and Nitish for several years. Jaitley passed away in August 2019. “The presence of Jha at the helm will help in better coordination between the two parties,” said Singh.

The appointment of Jha to the post is significant because he played a crucial role in bringing Nitish Kumar back to the NDA fold. He also shares a good rapport with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, who all have handled Bihar for the BJP at crucial junctures over the last decade.

Looking beyond Bihar

Nitish Kumar’s decision to tone down his demands may also be seen as an attempt by the JDU leadership to try and join hands with the BJP in the states other than Bihar.

With assembly elections in Jharkhand just four months away and Bihar elections scheduled to take place in December 2025, senior JDU leaders opine that the two NDA partners should take the alliance beyond Bihar.

“At present, the alliance between BJP and JDU is limited to Bihar but it will not be surprising if the two parties decide to take this alliance beyond Bihar and contest elections together in Jharkhand as well. The final decision on this issue will be taken by our senior leadership at an appropriate time,” a senior JDU leader told The Federal.

Political analysts believe that if Nitish Kumar is able to get special financial assistance for Bihar then it will benefit him in the state assembly elections and will create a legacy for the Bihar chief minister who has been demanding a special package for more than two decades.

“Since the bifurcation of Bihar, Nitish Kumar has been demanding a special package for the state. If he manages to get special financial package for Bihar then it will help him in the assembly elections. Nitish also needs BJP to counter the threat of RJD led by Lalu Prasad. So these decisions taken by JDU may help the BJP for now but it is also subject to the fulfilment of the demands,” Ashutosh Kumar, political science professor at the Panjab University told The Federal.