The elevation of Narendra Modi as chief of BJP’s campaign committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls has cast its shadow on the party’s alliance government in Bihar with the JD-U appearing to make up its mind to walk out of the coalition. But the BJP maintained that the people of Bihar wanted the alliance to continue.

Senior Janata Dal-United leaders said in Patna that the party had made up its mind to snap the 17-year-old alliance with the BJP over the rise of Modi and a formal announcement was expected soon. “Only a formal announcement is to made for snapping the ties with the BJP,” said a senior JD-U leader, considered close to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.