The BJP is bound to face a stiff alliance test in its third term. The signs were evident after ally Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) said it would demand a review of the Agnipath/Agniveer recruitment scheme for the Army and reiterated his support for caste-based census, besides demanding special status for Bihar. Meanwhile, the other significant ally, Chandrababu Naidu, has his eyes on the Lok Sabha Speaker’s post, in addition to special category status for Andhra Pradesh. There is also the buzz that some rift within the BJP itself is emerging after the party’s diminished election performance. Yet another source said that the alliance partners, particularly regional parties, were aware they might be entering a Faustian bargain and this will keep avenues, opportunities and possibilities open for the INDIA bloc.
