JD(U) leader Ali Anwar Ansari says alliance with 'communal' BJP isn't respecting people's mandate

Patna: A voice of dissent against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to join hands with the BJP surfaced on Thursday with senior JD(U) leader and party’s Rajya Sabha MP Ali Anwar Ansari expressing his opposition. “My conscience does not allow me support this step of his (of Nitish Kumar joining hands with the BJP),” Ansari, a leading Muslim face of the Janata Dal(United), said. [caption id=“attachment_3859363” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. PTI[/caption] “It is wrong to split from the Grand Alliance and join hands with a communal party like the BJP to form the government in Bihar,” Ansari said. He told IANS over telephone that mandate was given to the Grand Alliance of the JD-U, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress to rule for five years. He said the people’s verdict was for BJP to be in opposition. “Manndate of people should be respected.” Ansari’s stand has strengthened speculations that a section of leaders in Nitish Kumar’s party were unhappy with his decision to form government with the support of the BJP. In 2013, it was Nitish Kumar, who had dumped the BJP and ended his 17-year alliance with them. In 2015, Nitish Kumar had joined hands with RJD chief Lalu Prasad after a gap of nearly two decade and defeated the BJP-led NDA in the Bihar assembly polls. According to sources in the JD-U, former party President Sharad Yadav was also not happy with Nitish Kumar’s decision.