POLITICS is the art of managing contradictions. But in Bihar the fight for one-upmanship between the alliance partners, the BJP and JD(U), is taking a nasty turn with both the parties ignoring the basic tenet of politics. The alliance has been on rocks ever since the advertisement crediting the Gujarat government with helping Bihar was released.

If the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi did not adhere to decency by reminding to the people of Bihar his contribution, the Bihar Chief Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar also did not show his political maturity by returning the Rs 5 crore aid from him. Bihar government’s admission that it could not spend the money simply added to the erosion of the image of the Nitish Kumar government. Little doubt Mr Kumar took to this retaliatory step with an eye on the next assembly elections, but in the process he inflicted damage to image of the alliance. Mr Kumar commands respect of the people of Bihar and has a clean public image, but parting of ways between the BJP and JD(U) would jeopardise the electoral prospect of both the parties. In fact Mr Kumar’s pre-condition to save BJP-JD(U) alliance by keeping Mr Modi out of Bihar elections scheduled later this year would prove to be counter productive. How could Mr Kumar forget that Mr Modi is the senior leader of the BJP and he has the right to campaign for his party? Mr Kumar should be pragmatic and refrain from stretching the controversy beyond a certain limit. He should realise that in the present situation no alternate political tie up would work wonder. Little doubt Mr Kumar’s demand to keep away Mr Modi from Bihar is a move to consolidate the Muslim votes and rework the EBC (Extremely Backward Classes)-Mahadalit (the most deprived of the SCs) alliance. Nevertheless Mr Kumar should ensure that Bihar must not become victim of circumstances and caught into the quagmire of uncertainty.