5 netas quit JDU in Bihar, which will go to polls later this year

PATNA: Three more Muslim functionaries of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's JDU quit Friday over the party's support to waqf bill in Parliament, taking the number to five in two days.

The resignations come at a time Bihar is being seen as a "test case" for governing NDA after the bill's passage, with the state headed to polls later this year and Muslims accounting for 18% of its population.

JDU backed the bill as a BJP ally, risking support among Muslims. In the past, JDU had supported citizenship amendment bill and did not appear highly critical of triple talaq bill.

This time, however, Muslims seem upset. The three functionaries who quit Friday are Shah Nawaz Malik, Nadim Akhtar and Raju Nayyar. Malik is state secretary of JDU minority cell, Akhtar is JDU district vice-president and Nayyar is state secretary. Tabrez Siddiqui and Qasim Ansari - district-level functionaries - resigned Thursday.

Analysts point out Muslims have not wholeheartedly supported JDU, as reflected in the outcomes of the 2020 assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The only Muslim representative in Nitish's current cabinet is Zama Khan, the minority affairs minister. Khan was elected on a BSP ticket but he later switched to JDU.

Despite the headwinds, JDU remains confident its support for waqf bill will not impact its electoral prospects as it banks on its various welfare measures for minorities. "We established Waqf Vikas Board in Bihar long ago, under which Rs 110 crore was allocated for multi-purpose buildings, including hostels for minority students. We also ensured the fencing of graveyards. Additionally, we enforced liquor ban in the state," JDU spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said. According to Neeraj, JDU workers will soon fan out on a door-to-door campaign, visiting every Muslim household to apprise them of the govt's initiatives.