The defeat of the ruling JD(U) candidate in the Jokihat assembly bypoll in Bihar today led to demands from within the NDA for "better coordination" among the allies and that the BJP give up its "big brotherly attitude".
The RJD today won the Jokihat assembly seat defeating JD(U) by a huge margin of 41,000 votes.
In a strongly-worded statement, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), headed by Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, said, "It is no secret that discontent has been brewing among some sections of the NDA for quite some time."
"Mostly, it has been because of the big brotherly attitude shown by the BJP," it said.
The statement was issued by the RSLP's national general secretary and spokesperson Madhaw Anand.
"We hope that better sense will prevail over the BJP high command and they will sit together to formulate policies that can help strengthen the alliance in the state", it said.
The JD(U), though more guarded in response, echoed the demand for better coordination among NDA partners and the need for the BJP to take initiative in this regard.
"What has happened in Jokihat is essentially a Taslimuddin phenomenon. Whichever side his family swings to, tastes victory in the assembly segment", JD(U) chief spokesman and national general secretary K C Tyagi said.
Mohd Taslimuddin, a towering figure of Seemanchal region in Bihar, had represented the seat five times. His elder son Sarfaraz Alam won the seat twice - both times as a JD(U) candidate.
The seat has been retained for the family by younger son Shahnawaz Alam who wrested the constituency for the RJD. He defeated Murshid Alam of JD(U).
Tyagi, however, said "there is considerable resentment across the country over a number of issues, the latest of these being the spiralling petrol and diesel prices".
"The NDA is a large coalition and we hope that (BJP president) Amit Shah, as the leader of the biggest partner, will take the initiative to communicate better with alliance partners.
"Better coordination is a must for the coalition to do well in forthcoming elections", he said.
The JD(U) returned to the NDA last year, after having snapped its ties with the BJP in 2013.
The NDA coalition in Bihar presently has BJP, JD(U), LJP and RLSP.
The Hindustani Awam Morcha headed by former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi left the coalition on the eve of the bypoll for the Araria Lok Sabha seat and two assembly seats in Bihar in March last.
He joined hands with Lalu Prasad's RJD.
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