Patna: (ABN) Political activity has intensified in Bihar over the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), but Lok Jan Shakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Union Minister Chirag Paswan has not yet clarified his party's final stand on the issue.
Chirag Paswan said that the draft UCC will be discussed and reviewed in detail after it comes before the public, then the LJP (R) will clarify its position. The issue of the UCC has become more important when Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a target of implementing a uniform civil code before 2029 in 21 states ruled by BJP or NDA. After this announcement, different opinions on this issue have started to emerge within the NDA in Bihar.
Janata Dal United, the NDA's main ally in Bihar, has made it clear that the UCC will not be implemented in the state. JDU leader Shyam Rajik said that the party has made its stand clear on this issue before and is still standing by it. The party has also asked to discuss the issue with the Union Home Minister. On the other hand, the LJP (R) has currently adopted a strategy of waiting for the draft rather than making a final decision. It is clear from Chirag Paswan's statement that the party will put forward its stand only after reviewing all the provisions of the UCC and after detailed consideration.
Signs of a new alignment in Bihar politics on UCC are beginning to be seen. There have been voices in support from BJP and LJP(R) constituencies, while the JDU has opposed its implementation in the state. On the other hand, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress have also objected to the UCC, calling it unnecessary. Thus, even before the draft of the UCC has come out, the contradiction of the position within the NDA has become a new topic of political debate in Bihar, while Chirag Paswan has withheld the final decision until a detailed review of the draft.