NDA Allies Split Over UCC Rollout in Bihar as JD(U) Vows to Block It

A rift has surfaced within the National Democratic Alliance in Bihar over the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the code would be brought in across all 21 States where the BJP and its allies are in power by 2029.

Reacting to the statement, ruling Janata Dal (United) MLA and former Minister Shyam Rajak said on Monday that the UCC would not be implemented in Bihar under any circumstances. Speaking to the media in Patna, he said the party had backed the legislation in Parliament, but that its leader Nitish Kumar had made clear even then that it would not be enforced in the State. He added that the party's position has not changed since.

Asked whether a BJP Chief Minister in Bihar made it difficult to block the code, Mr. Rajak said the State is run by an alliance government that includes the JD(U), the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular). There is no single-party government, he said, and therefore no question of implementing the UCC in Bihar.

Santosh Kumar Suman, national president of the HAM (Secular) and a Minister in the Samrat Choudhary government, took a different line. He said that if the Home Minister has spoken on the matter, there must be something worthwhile in the UCC. Should any issue arise over its implementation, he said, all alliance leaders would be consulted and taken into confidence. He added that the party would speak to the Chief Minister and that the code could be implemented in Bihar too if no problem emerges.

Mr. Suman also rejected the suggestion of a rift within the NDA, saying the statement of one leader does not represent an entire party and that only those authorised to speak can put across the alliance's position.

Bihar BJP spokesperson Neeraj Kumar Sharma said the UCC reflects the spirit of Article 44 of the Constitution and addresses the question of equal rights for women, and is not aimed at any religion. He said NDA-ruled States would implement it through discussion, suggestions and consensus, and that Bihar would be part of that process given the timeline running up to 2029.

The Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal alleged that the BJP intends to target people of a particular religion through the code. RJD spokesperson Shakti Yadav said the country is home to different religions and cultures, and that hatred against any community cannot be acceptable. He warned that the RJD would not remain silent if there is any attack on followers of Islam, and said the party, which follows secularism, would not allow it to be undermined. The UCC, he asserted, will not be implemented in Bihar at any cost.