NDA Allies in Bihar Split Over UCC After Amit Shah's 2029 Rollout Target

A disagreement has surfaced within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar over the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the code would be brought into force by 2029 in all 21 States where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies are in power.

Addressing the media in Patna, Janata Dal (United) MLA and former Minister Shyam Rajak said the UCC would not be implemented in Bihar "at any cost".

"We all supported UCC in Parliament, but at that time also our leader Nitish Kumar had clearly stated that it would not be implemented in Bihar. There is no doubt that we supported that Bill and till date we stand by that position. However, UCC will never be implemented in Bihar," Mr. Rajak said.

Asked whether Bihar having a BJP Chief Minister made it difficult for the JD(U) to block the code, he said the State was run by an alliance government that includes the JD(U), the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular). "There is no independent government. There is no question of implementing UCC in Bihar at any cost," he said.

Santosh Kumar Suman, national president of the HAM (Secular) and a Minister in the Samrat Choudhary government, took a different position. He said that if the Home Minister had made the statement, there must be something beneficial in the code.

"If there is any issue over the implementation of UCC, then talks will be held with all the leaders of the alliance and they will be taken into confidence. If the Home Minister has said it, then there must be some good things in the UCC. We will also talk to the Chief Minister, and if there is no problem then it will be implemented in Bihar as well," Mr. Suman said.

He added that there was no rift within the NDA and that the statement of one leader was not the position of an entire party, saying that only authorised spokespersons could speak on behalf of their organisations.

Bihar BJP spokesperson Neeraj Kumar Sharma said the UCC reflects the spirit of Article 44 of the Constitution, which directs the State to endeavour to secure a uniform civil code for citizens, and addresses the question of equal rights for women. He said it was not directed against any religion. NDA-ruled States would implement it through discussion, suggestions and consensus, he said, adding that Bihar would also be part of that process since there is time until 2029.

The Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) alleged that the BJP wanted to target the people of a particular religion through the code. "In this country there are different religions and people follow different cultures and traditions. We cannot talk about hatred against anyone. If there is any attack on the people following Islam, then the RJD will not sit quiet. The RJD follows secularism and we will never allow it to be scattered. UCC will not be implemented in Bihar at any cost," RJD spokesperson Shakti Yadav said.

Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan posted a message on X in which he noted that India's social fabric is diverse and that every class has its own civic traditions and customs. He said the Constitution has acknowledged this through the Fifth and Sixth Schedules, Articles 371A and 371G, and the exemptions granted to Scheduled Tribes in every code so far. "My party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), is committed to both equality and diversity. Let the draft be made public, let there be an assessment of the interests of all stakeholders, let there be extensive discussions — thereafter, after review, the party will state its position," he said.

The UCC is a proposed set of common personal laws that would govern marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption and related matters for all citizens, instead of the community-specific personal laws that currently apply. Article 44, a Directive Principle of State Policy, says the State shall endeavour to secure a uniform civil code across India, but it has never been implemented in full. Successive governments have cited the need for wide consultation and consensus. Protections exist for Scheduled Tribes under the Fifth and Sixth Schedules, and for Nagaland and Mizoram under Articles 371A and 371G.

Supporters of the code argue that it would guarantee equal rights to women and end inconsistencies between different personal laws. Critics, including several Opposition parties and some alliance partners, contend that it could override the customs of minority and tribal communities, and that no draft has been placed in the public domain for scrutiny.

No draft of the code has been made public so far. With the BJP-led NDA setting 2029 as its target, the debate in Bihar indicates that agreement within the alliance, and wider public consultation, will shape whether and how the code is rolled out.