April 19, 2013
NEW DELHI: The comfort levels of BJP's two Modis are a study in contrast: While Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi basks in an unprecedented wave of popularity, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has been forced to take sides against friend Nitish Kumar.
April 19, 2013
NEW DELHI: The comfort levels of BJP's two Modis are a study in contrast: While Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi basks in an unprecedented wave of popularity, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has been forced to take sides against friend Nitish Kumar.
When Sushil Modi gave out a prepared statement, terming Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's speech at the Janata Dal (U)'s national executive as "regrettable and unfortunate," it signalled that the strongest bridge between BJP and JD(U) was forced to choose, and he plumped for his party.
Modi has often been accused of turning a blind eye to BJP's interests vis-a-vis Kumar's political programme: When Kumar advocated the implementation of the Sachar committee's recommendations, or went out of his way to woo Backward Pasmanda Muslims, it was Modi who ensured that BJP's central leadership overlooked the state unit's ire.
His actions prompted state BJP leaders to say he 'crawled when asked to bend,' but the BJP high command backed him as its largest partner was too important to be messed around. When Narendra Modi was reelected, Sushil Modi stayed away from the swearing in, just as Nitish Kumar did.
Sushil Modi pleaded that he could not go to Ahmedabad because of the 58th national convention of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. "I owe whatever I am today to ABVP. How could I have not attended its inaugural day session today, when it is being held near my house in Patna?" The reference to his student politics days was ironic.
It was during Emergency that Modi became friends with Kumar. Despite being an RSS pracharak, Modi has a Socialist tilt. Modi also made another untypical move for a pracharak by marrying Jessie George, a Christian.
Nitish Kumar's speech at the JD(U) national executive in Delhi, over the weekend, turned out to be the moment of choice for his friend. Even as both parties have hardened their positions, Sushil has been forced to stand up and be counted.
Courtesy: ET
