Patna:
Stung by rebellion within the party, Bihar BJP top leaders on Monday met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat here and discussed the political situation in the state.
The BJP state unit has accused Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of orchestrating the revolt. While one MLA has been suspended for six years, nearly a dozen BJP MLAs reportedly have complained against party leader Sushil Kumar Modi.
S K Modi, party general secretary and in-charge of state affairs Dharmendra Pradhan, Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Nand Kishore Yadav, state party president Mangal Pandey and others met Bhagwat over breakfast and discussed the the latest developments.
Though the leaders were tightlipped about what traspired at the meeting, senior BJP leader Giriraj Singh told reporters, "Of course when we sit togther there will be some talk on prevailing political situation."
This was the first visit of the sarsanghchalak of RSS, which has lent its support to Narendra Modi in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, to Bihar since the ruling JD(U) walked out of NDA.
Pandey, who has his roots in RSS, however, told reporters that it was a courtsey call.
BJP national vice president C P Thakur, general secretary Radha Mohan Singh and former minister Chandramohan Rai were also present.
The meeting between top BJP leaders and Bhagwat is important considering the widening cracks within Bihar BJP with some more party Legislators openly venting their anger on the inner party democracy and charging S K Modi with 'hijacking' the party.
The revolt was triggered by Amarnath Gami, BJP MLA from Hayaghat in Darbhanga, who was suspended for 6 years.
Gami has claimed that a dozen BJP MLAs shared his view. This claim has been dismissed by the BJP.
Vijay Kumar Mishra, BJP MLA from Jale in Darbhanga, has come in support of Gami. "Injustice has been done to Gami who has been suspended from the party without show cause notice," he said.
Rana Gangeshwar Singh, the party's MLA from Moiuddinnagar in Samastipur praised Kumar and said if JD(U) gets 20-30 MPs in the 2014 parliamentary elections, he would definitely become the prime minister.
He also questioned BJP's 'rigidity' about Narendra Modi and suggested to the party leadership to change the 'player' so that Nitish Kumar could be brought back to NDA.
"I am openly with Nitish Kumar and can make any sacrifice for him," he said.
The BJP dissidents claimed that many MLAs had boycotted the legislature party meeting on the eve of the confidence vote on June 19 which forced it to stage a walk out before voting.
Thakur, whose reservation against S K Modi is no secret, said some party leaders and workers are unhappy in Patna too and the leadership should talk to them.
BJP has decided to take on JD(U), its erstwhile NDA partner, for 'betraying' peoples mandate which was for the alliance.
BJP would host protests in the district headquarters against Kumar for 'betraying' the peoples mandate. The protest would begin from the chief minister's native district Nalanda on July 25, Pandey told newsmen.
JD(U) was encouraging 'horse trading' by 'luring' its leaders and those of other opposition parties to save the chair of the chief minister, he claimed adding many JD(U) MLAs are in contact with BJP and the ruling party would witness large scale exodus the day Kumar expands his cabinet.
In a counter-claim Narendra Singh, a senior minister in the Nitish Kumar government, said around 42 BJP MLAs and 17 from RJD are 'standing on the doors of JD(U)'.
Bihar JD(U) chief Bashist Narayan Singh said many BJP MLAs are feeling 'suffocated' and had approached the ruling party.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a marathon meeting of JD(U) legislators, state party office bearers and prominent workers from across the state during the day at his official rsidence to draw up a strategy for 'mission 2014'.
