‘Is It Constitutional?’: Nitish Kumar as 5 JD(U) MLAs Jump Ship in Manipur

File Photo: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, 28 July, 2022.

(Photo: IANS)

Amid a tussle with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar following breaking of the alliance government, Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) faced a big jolt in Manipur on Friday, 2 September, as five of its six MLAs joined the BJP in the state.

A fuming JD(U) said it will move the high court seeking the disqualification of the five MLAs as "their move is in violation of the 10th schedule of the Constitution."

"When we parted ways from NDA, all our six Manipur MLAs came and met us and assured us they were with the JDU. We need to think about what's going on. They're breaking away the MLAs from the parties, is it constitutional?," Nitish Kumar told reporters.

The MLAs who switched sides are Thangjam Arunkumar, Kh Joykishan, Md Achab Uddin, N Sanate, and LM Khaute. They were given a warm reception by Chief Minister Biren Singh and BJP state president Sharda Devi in Delhi.

"Those MLAs wanted to remain in NDA. Very soon, we'll break the JDU-RJD alliance in Bihar and make the state JDU free. Nobody can become PM by erecting hoardings and posters," BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Modi said.

The development comes just months after the Assembly elections in Manipur that were held in March this year, in which the BJP had won 32 out of the 60 seats it contested.

With the switch of the five JDU MLAs, the BJP now has 37 MLAs in the state.

BJP Using 'Dhan Bal,' Says JD(U)

A day after most of its MLAs in Manipur joined the BJP, the JD(U) on Saturday lashed out at its former ally whom it accused of using "dhan bal" (money power) to poach legislators from other parties.

JD(U) National President Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan alleged that the BJP did in Manipur what it had "previously attempted in Delhi, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra."

"Our MLAs in Manipur had defeated BJP candidates at the hustings. Ditto in Arunachal Pradesh where our MLAs were poached while we were still in NDA," fumed Lalan.

The development comes as an embarrassment for the party, which is holding its national executive meeting here and trying to project Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, its de facto leader, for a bigger role.

"Whatever tricks the BJP may play, it will not be able to stop JD(U) from becoming a national party by 2023," asserted Lalan, who has been associated with Nitish Kumar for nearly four decades.

"The BJP should worry about itself. In 2015 Assembly polls, none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed 42 rallies but the party could win only 53 seats in the 243-strong Bihar Vidhan Sabha. They should think of their fate in 2024 when the entire Opposition will stand united against them," he said.

Referring to Modi's recent allegation that Opposition parties were in a huddle to protect the corrupt, the JD(U) chief taunted "what BJP is doing to other parties is 'sadachar' but a joint fight against its brazen use of money power is 'bhrashtachar'. The prime minister has redefined these terms."

He also bristled at the remark of BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi that after Arunachal and Manipur it was Bihar's turn to become "JDU-mukt" where the party could be split by its bigger ally RJD of Lalu Prasad.

"Let Sushil Modi sell daydreams to his central leadership. It may help him to come out of political wilderness," remarked Lalan.

Five JD(U) MLAs joined the ruling BJP in Manipur on Friday. The JD(U) had won six of the 38 constituencies it had contested in the Assembly elections held in March.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)