BJP not responsible for possible split in JD-U: Shahnawaz Hussain

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shahnawaz Hussain on Tuesday rejected suggestions that his party is engineering a possible split in the rank and file of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) in Bihar.

Interacting with media here, Hussain said he had heard that at least 52 MLAs of the JD-U were dissatisfied with the leadership of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who also heads the party, and predicted a shocking result for the latter during the eighth phase of the general elections to be held tomorrow.

"52 JD(U) MLAs are angry with their party. Nitish Kumar is the reason behind their anger. They are angry with the way Nitish Kumar is working. We have not done anything in this. You will get a shocking result in the eighthh phase of the LS polls. Smriti Irani and Rajiv Pratap Rudy is going to win in the elections," Hussain said.

Earlier in the day, former Bihar finance minister and head of the BJP in the state, Sushil Kumar Modi, had said that at least 50 MLAs from the Nitish Kumar-led government were in touch with the BJP.

He said they were openly working to ensure that BJP candidates win. He also said that the 2014 polls was about saving the nation, and predicted that the Nitish Kumar-led state government would fall due to its own internal contradictions.

On Saturday, party chief Sharad Yadav had accused both Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Yadav of playing caste-based politics and ruining the state of Bihar. He said he shared the blame as he had helped them to enter politics.