Modi takes charge of Bihar BJP

Readying itself for the battle for the Bihar Assembly, the BJP replaced the chief of the state unit, Gopal Narain Singh, by party vice-president Sushil Modi.

Sensing that this time it may be able to form a government in Bihar, the party decided to replace its state chief on the basis of a compatibility index with Janata Dal (U) leader Nitish Kumar.

Singh had made some anti-Nitish noises in March after the Assembly poll results and it had looked as if the party might be in a position to form a government there.

In fact, the claims of Singh that a JD(U) candidate would not be the chief minister if the NDA came to power in Bihar had to be contradicted by BJP President LK Advani.

Modi had taken a lead role in uncovering the fodder scam in which RJD chief Lalu Prasad had been indicted. More recently, he was in the limelight for squarely criticising the conduct of Governor Buta Singh and his family.

BJP National Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Modi, who represents Patna in the Lok Sabha, will take charge with immediate effect.

Advani had also appointed former Union Minister C P Thakur chairman of the Bihar election campaign committee, Naqvi said. Significantly, party leader Shatrughan Sinha does not figure anywhere in the organisational hierarchy and it is likely that actor-turned-politician is going to sulk yet again at being ignored.

Buoyed by his appointment, Modi said his aim would be to get two-third majority for the NDA in Bihar by working with allies, particularly JD(U).

"My focus will be on having better coordination with the JD(U) and other allies and see that if anything was lacking during the last Assembly polls, it is corrected this time," he said.

He plans to hold meetings with Arun Jaitley, party general secretary in-charge of elections in Bihar and co-incharge Uma Bharati to evolve a strategy to attain a "two-thirds majority".

"The UPA, particularly the RJD, the Lok Janshakti Party and the Congress, will have to suffer for the injustice it has done to the state by dissolving the Assembly when the NDA was close to forming a government there," he said.

Modi, who has been leading a sustained campaign against Prasad, said the NDA would go to the people telling them how their verdict was betrayed. On Singh's exit, he said the outgoing Bihar BJP chief was a good leader and he had resigned because he was going to contest in the Assembly polls.