Alliance with JD-U OK, but without conditions: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday said it wanted the alliance with the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) in Bihar to continue but said it would not accept “any conditions” set by their ally or compromise on their self-respect.

“The issue will be resolved soon. We want the alliance to continue and work for the welfare of people of the state,” party spokesman Prakash Javadekar said here.

Asked about suggestions by some JD-U leaders that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and party MP Varun Gandhi should not campaign for assembly polls in Bihar later this year, Javadekar said the BJP will not accept any such condition.

“No such demand had been made. And if such a demand is made, we will not accept it. Ours is an independent party,” he said.

The BJP is a junior partner in the JD(U)-led government in Bihar.

Senior party leader M. Venkaiah Naidu earlier told reporters: “As per media reports, about all these demands by the JD-U… Nobody has put any conditions and we will not accept any conditions set by JD-U. We will decide who will campaign in Bihar,” Naidu said.

Naidu said that party was very hurt by Nitish Kumar returning the Rs.5 crore to Gujarat. “It is unfortunate. The money was not Modi’s, it was from the people of Gujarat for the people of Bihar.”