After meeting with party legislators, Ministers and workers, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on July 2 started meeting party MPs one-on-one at his official residence in Patna. Mr. Kumar met four party MPs — three from Lok Sabha and one from Rajya Sabha — individually for about 15 minutes.
Mr. Kumar has been meeting party colleagues for the past three days asking them about development work in their constituencies. On Sunday, Mr. Kumar met Lok Sabha MPs Chandeshwar Prasad Chandravanshi (Jehanababd), Dulal Chandra Goswami (Katihar) and Sunil Kumar Kushwaha (Valmikinagar) as well as Rajya Sabha MP Anil Hegde. Janata Dal (United) has 16 MPs in Lok Sabha and five in Rajya Sabha.
JD(U) sources told The Hindu that the CM enquired about incomplete development work and also asked them to be prepared for the upcoming general election. “We were told that this time we have to defeat the BJP. We were also asked to cooperate with our allies,” a JD(U) MP said preferring anonymity.
Party functionaries are also being directed to stay in regular touch with people of their constituencies. “Our leader and CM has asked us to let him know immediately, if we face any problem regarding development work in our constituencies,” a party MLA who met Mr. Kumar three days ago said.
After convening a meeting of 15 non-BJP Opposition parties in Patna to take on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Mr. Kumar has been hitting headlines for meeting his party MLAs, MLCs, Ministers , workers and now MPs individually at his official residence 1, Anne Marg. JD(U) MP from Sitamarhi, Sunil Kumar Pintu, told mediapersons that he would be meeting Mr. Kumar on July 4. Meanwhile, Mr. Kumar’s Cabinet colleague Vijay Kumar Choudhary said his party was ready to face the Lok Sabha election “anytime”. “Even if LS election is held today, JD(U) is ready and there is buzz that the election will be held early, though it all depends on the Centre and PM,” Mr. Choudhary said.
Amid these one-on-one meetings, JD(U) commenced division-level training of party workers of Motihari in East Champaran district from July 1. “To ensure victory, party workers would have to educate people about the unprecedented development work done by Nitishji in the State”, JD(U) MLC Lalan Kumar Saraf said. He also launched the ‘Haate-Bazaare Nitishe Kumar’ (Nitish Kumar to every mart and market) mass contact programme on the occasion.
However, Opposition leaders said Mr. Kumar has been meeting lawmakers as he “fears a possible split in the party”. “Just wait for the day and there will be a major split in JD(U). Mr. Kumar is making last-minute efforts to avoid that split,” former chairman of JD(U) parliamentary board and leader of Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal Upendra Kushwaha told mediapersons. Opposition BJP leaders too echoed the same sentiment claiming “several JD(U) MLAs and MPs are in touch with the BJP as they are not happy with the party leadership for joining hands with the Rashtriya Janata Dal [RJD]”.
