BJP stands up to JD-U, won't bar Modi from Bihar

New Delhi: The BJP has formally conveyed to the JD(U) that it will not accept any condition like Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Varun Gandhi will not campaign in the Bihar Assembly polls.

BJP sources said here it has been conveyed to the JD-U leadership Tuesday evening that there can not be any pre-conditions regarding the alliance of the two parties in Bihar.

This has been done after reports that Nitish Kumar is against any campaigning by Narendra Modi during the Bihar assembly elections.

Former BJP chief Venkaiah Naidu said, "BJP-JDU want to give good governance and serve the people. BJP believes there is no reason to returning the money, and we are hurt by that."

Earlier, BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain had said the BJP central leadership will take the final decision on the fate of the alliance in party meeting later today or on Thursday.

Hussain said that the BJP wants the development of Bihar and expects dignity and self-respect in its relationship with the JD-U.

He said the BJP's Bihar leaders had taken note of Nitish Kumar's decision to stop a police team from going to Gujarat in connection with a probe into a controversial advertisement featuring him and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The differences between Nitish Kumar and the BJP began June 12 when the chief minister expressed displeasure over newspaper advertisements featuring him and Narendra Modi and the references to the aid provided by Gujarat after the Kosi floods. The advertisements appeared on the day the BJP's two-day national executive meet started in Patna.

Earlier Tuesday, four of the 12 BJP ministers attended a meeting of the Bihar Cabinet in Patna after Sushil Modi instructed party ministers not to boycott it.

While some ministers had gone to Delhi to meet Gadkari, those in Patna attended the meeting in an indication of the BJP's softening of stance.

The BJP also denied that it had received any indication of the JD-U threatening to snap ties with it if Narendra Modi, as also party leader and Varun Gandhi campaign during Bihar's assembly polls later this year.

"We have not received any such message from the JD-U on who will campaign and who won't, This is for us (BJP) to decide who should or shouldn't. We have not sought anybody's advice on this either," Hussain told reporters in New Delhi in the afternoon.

However, BJP leaders also made it clear that they will not appreciate any diktat on the issue from the JD-U.