Bihar govt move on NRC, NPR upsets BJP

Patna: A day after Bihar Assembly passed a resolution against the NPR and NRC, BJP leaders expressed their unhappiness and targeted their ally JD(U) and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. Dalit leader and BJP MLC Sanjay Paswan said that the party followed the JD(U) on the issue because it is a senior partner in Bihar’s NDA.

“He (Nitish Kumar) takes risks because he is a brave politician. Being a number two party in the NDA government we just followed JD(U)’s decisions but in states where BJP is strong, we will implement our agenda as planned, Mr Paswan said. The resolution on the NPR and NRC was adopted unanimously despite opposition from the BJP camp, which is a junior partner of the JD(U) in Bihar.

Bihar became the first NDA ruled state to pass a resolution to implement the NPR in 2010 format with the inclusion of transgender column. The Assembly had also passed a resolution that NRC will not be implemented in Bihar.

The NPR work has to be completed across the country between April 1 and September 30. In Bihar, the exercise to update the NPR will take place between May 15 and 28. Sources said that the aggressive approach being adopted by BJP members may create trouble for the NDA in Bihar ahead of assembly elections slated to be held in October-November this year.