New Delhi, June 22
Ten days after relations between the BJP and JD-U started souring over the one-upmanship of the Gujarat and the Bihar chief ministers in Patna, 20 Bihar BJP leaders arrived here today to urge president Nitin Gadkari to act firmly and decisively on this issue.

But even as the day was marked by a series of meetings, with the one with BJP president Nitin Gadkari slated for late in the evening, both the BJP and JD-U sent out signals that they are not keen on fanning the flames any further.

By evening it was evident from the reactions and comments of various central leaders that they were reluctant to break the ties with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, though state BJP leaders were inclined to “teach Nitish a lesson” this time.

To make BJP’s displeasure public, some BJP ministers had decided to boycott the state cabinet meeting. Three important Bihar ministers, namely Deputy chief minister Sushil Modi, Ashwini Chaubey and Nand Kishore Yadav had come to Delhi today. But Sushil Modi reportedly asked those who had stayed back in Patna to attend the cabinet meeting.

But while one of them, namely Cooperatives Minister Giriraj Sing, left for Muzaffarpur, four others did attend the cabinet to prevent further deterioration in BJP-JD-U relations.

In Delhi, Sushil Modi, accompanied by BJP general secretary and fellow Bihar leader Ravi Shankar Prasad got to work soon after his arrival, meeting various important leaders including L.K. Advani and JD-U president Sharad Yadav.

Simultaneously the Bihar BJP contingent consisting of Ashwani Chaubey, Nand Kishore Yadav, Radha Mohan Singh, Hridaynath Singh, Gopal Narayan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Mangal Pandey, Rajnish Kumar, and Janardhan Sigriwal sat with Bihar BJP president C.P. Thakur to draw up their strategy for the late night meet.

But the focus remained on Narendra Modi. While reports from Bihar said that Nitish Kumar has asked BJP to refrain from sending the Gujarat chief minister for campaign, BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Husain reacted sharply saying, "BJP does not work on conditions laid down by its allies. BJP will decide who will campaign for the party in the elections."

But he denied receiving such a message from JD-U and pointed out that the elections are still several months away, adding that, "The issue will arise when polls are announced. Then a list of campaigners will be made and a decision taken."

But the air was thick with suspense whether the BJP would dare Nitish Kumar any further. Party sources hinted that after listening to his state leaders Gadkari may call a meeting of the central leaders to take a final decision.

JD-U too seemed disinclined to break the alliance. Instead, sources said the chief minister wanted to keep up the pressure on his alliance partner. Meanwhile realising the delicacy of the situation, Sharad Yadav refused to speak to anyone in the media today, even as he called up Nitish Kumar immediately after Sushil Modi left his house.

Sources in the JD-U said that while a section in his party comprising mainly of Shivanand Tiwari, N.K. Singh and Saibal Dasputa and a senior Delhi based journalist, considered members of the think tank of Nitish Kumar, have been urging him to experiment with going it alone to corner all the secular plus Muslim vote, Nitish Kumar himself is said to be reluctant.

Meanwhile, two senior JD(U) leaders, on condition of anonymity, said they were averse to the idea of Modi or Varun taking part in campaigning in the state.

Sources in JDU said that any compromise over allowing Modi and Varun in Bihar during elections is "unlikely" and the party has no qualms in going it alone for the Assembly elections if BJP remains adamant. Kumar had yesterday sought to downplay the flood aid row with ally BJP, saying there was no cause for tension.

The crisis in the NDA emerged after Kumar reacted angrily to an advertisement in local dailies on the eve of the June 12-13 BJP national executive meeting which said that the Gujarat government contributed liberally towards relief for victims of the 2008 Kosi floods.

Full page advertisements in local dailies with photographs of Kumar and Narendra Modi holding hands also drew the ire of the Bihar Chief Minister.