Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's Critique Sparks Division Within INDIA Alliance

Kumar, speaking in Patna, emphasized that despite efforts to bring various parties together to protect the country from those trying to rewrite its history, not much progress had been made within the alliance. He pointed out that while there are currently Assembly elections taking place in five states, the Congress party appears preoccupied with these elections and is not actively engaged in strengthening the alliance. Kumar suggested that the Congress would likely reach out to the other alliance members after the state elections were over.

This statement by Nitish Kumar did not go unnoticed, and the BJP seized the opportunity to criticize the INDIA alliance. They referred to it as a "tukde tukde" (fragmented) alliance, claiming that it lacked a clear vision or mission.

Shehzad Poonawalla, a BJP leader, further criticized the alliance, stating that it was rife with internal contradictions, confusion, corruption, ambition, and frustration. He cited various instances of infighting between alliance partners in different states, suggesting that this internal discord weakened the alliance's cohesiveness and effectiveness.

Nitish Kumar's comments came shortly after a public dispute between INDIA alliance partners Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) over seat distribution in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress had released a candidate list without including any SP candidates, leading to tensions within the alliance. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav labeled this move as a "betrayal."