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In a fresh salvo apparently aimed at alliance partner Janata Dal - United, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday said the Bharatiya Janata Party would not take it lying down if any of its allies tries to impose its views on the party.
"I would like to tell our alliance partners that nobody has the right to wield veto on us," Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters.
His comments came against the backdrop of a spat between the BJP and the JD-U over the National Democratic Alliance’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
While some sections in the BJP are raising the pitch for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for the top job, his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar has put his foot down for a nominee with strong “secular credentials”.
"Though they (alliance partners) have the right to express their views, they cannot exercise a veto upon us. Nobody has the right to wield veto in a democracy. We will talk to our alliance partners about their views and will find a way out," he said.
The deputy chief minister also hinted at chances of reconciliation over the contentious issue.
"Political comments will take place but our alliance partners will stay with us. We want to take forward the NDA. We want new people to join the alliance and we want those in the NDA to stay with us," said Sushil Kumar Modi.
Seeking to dispel the perception that Kumar might be veering towards the Congress, he said, "Nobody is keen on join the Congress. Nobody wants to sail in a ship which has a hole in it. Nobody will commit such a mistake. Change will take place in the country's politics."