In a curious political move that fuelled speculations of split in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections, state president of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) today met incarcerated Rashtriaya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad in the Ranchi court premises.

HAM, a constituent of the NDA, is headed by former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. The RJD president is currently serving a jail term in the Ranchi-based Birsa Mundar Central Jail after being convicted in fodder scam case.

Under the new jail manual, only three persons can meet Mr Prasad in a week. This quota already got exhausted when a group of leaders, including Mr Prasad’s son Tejashwi Yadav met the RJD leader earlier this week. So HAM’s Bihar unit chief, Brishen Patel, had to wait for over four hours for the RJD president to come to court for appearance in the fodder scam cases, which are being heard on priority basis following an order from the Supreme Court. It was during this time that the HAM leader met Mr Prasad in the court and had a brief chat. What transpired between them, however, is not known.

Party insiders said Mr Manjhi is not happy with the BJP’s constant failure to fulfill the commitments made to him when he joined the NDA ahead of 2015 Assembly elections. As per reports, the HAM chief was promised a gubernatorial post in lieu of lending his support to the BJP in the elections which it lost very badly ~ the NDA could win only 58 seats in 243-member Bihar Assembly. But the promise has not been kept, causing resentment in the HAM camp.

The HAM was also denied a berth in the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government. His request for the same went unheeded even after he personally met Mr Kumar.

The Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), another NDA ally headed by Union minister Upendra Kushwaha too appears disillusioned with the BJP and is said to be looking for other options. The NDA suffered a major embarrassment when Mr Kushwaha blamed the JD-U for attack on chief minister Nitish Kumar’s convoy in Buxar district last week and demanded an independent inquiry into the matter. “We are getting information that the attack on the chief minister’s convoy was engineered by JD-U people,” Mr Kushwaha had told the local media, indicating a rift within the NDA. He claimed the attacks could have been triggered by a host of local issues and an inquiry would bring out the truth.

Mr Kushwaha’s observations are in sharp contrast to the views expressed by the BJP-JD-U combine which has blamed the Opposition RJD for the attack. The RLSP chief is also said to be displeased over his constant neglect within the NDA. What apparently irked him the most was the way his party was not provided a berth in the NDA ministry despite having two legislators while the Lok Janshakti Party with equal number of lawmakers was given representation.