patnagaya strange bed fellows coming together does no longer make news in indian politics but the politics of convenience being played by both the major formations contesting for power bihar erode credibility of the polity itself says prem kumar mani well known fiction writer and political commentator public memory may be proverbially short but it is not short enough to completely forget either nitishsushil modi bonhomie or lalunitish animosity said mani it is not marriage of convenience it is some kind of political live in relationship in which shared responsibility and accountability do not mean much feels rai madan kishore a retired special secretary of the bihar govt and keen observer of the state political scene otherwise how can one justify nitish kumar single handedly making claims for all good things done by the nda govt with bjp as partner similarly bjp refuses to apportion blame for performance deficit of the govt in which important portfolios including finance and health were held by bjp ministers asked why jdu was not inclined to share credit with bjp for the work done between 2005 and 2013 rajya sabha member and chief spokes person of the party pawan verma said that bjp was just a participatory witness in the govt and even sushil modi on many occasions gave all credit to nitish kumars leadership for the govts achievements sushil modi even saw pm material in nitish bjp just played supportive role in the nitish centric play said verma bjp senior leader and self proclaimed chief ministerial candidate prem kumar has a different take on the issue prem kumar would like people to believe that whatever good was done in the eight years of nda rule in the state was done by departments held by bjp ministers including health and phed departments like electricity held by jdu have been under performers in the nda days alleges kumar inner contradictions of the alliances have been aggravated by developments like owaisis entry into the election arena and the tantrums of mulayam tariq anwar and jitan ram manjhi even if manjhi is reined in or won over by the bjp negotiators on account of his past behaviour and misplaced ambitions of santodh manjhi the son in hurry he will remain undependable politics of convenience introduced by late indira gandhi author of the well known conscience vote theory has been ruthlessly practised by several others particularly bsp bjp jdu and even the leftists who shared power with the jana sangh in bihar in 1960s in the name of anti congressism and supported upa i in lieu of the politically glamorous speakers post in the name of secularism cum anti bjpism says ghulam quadir a college teacher when it comes to political opportunism like the proverbial sheikhcleric not missing anything virtuous or sinful bihar politicians take it all sid college teacher and lover of urdu poetry