Setback to BJP’s agenda, JD(U) rejects Uniform Civil Code in Bihar
NDA ally’s opposition exposes divisions over BJP’s India-wide UCC push
New Delhi: In a setback to the BJP-led Indian government’s push for countrywide implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), its key alliance partner Janata Dal (United) has rejected any move to introduce the controversial law in Bihar.
The JD(U), which has a sizeable Muslim vote base in Bihar, has made it clear that the UCC will not be implemented in the state, despite Indian Home Minister Amit Shah’s announcement that the code would be introduced in all 21 NDA-ruled states before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
The JD(U) had earlier opposed any legislation on the UCC without adequate consultation. Its position now puts the party at odds with the BJP’s effort to advance a uniform legal framework covering issues including marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption across India.
The announcement has exposed divisions within the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance over a contentious issue that directly concerns religious and personal laws. While key allies including the Telugu Desam Party and Shiv Sena have backed Shah’s call, the JD(U)’s rejection in Bihar underscores the lack of consensus within the ruling coalition.
Critics of the UCC have expressed concern that imposing a uniform framework could undermine religious and cultural freedoms in India’s multi-religious society. The BJP, however, presents the measure as a means of ensuring uniformity and gender equality, making it a major part of its political agenda ahead of the 2029 elections.
The JD(U)’s opposition is therefore being seen as a significant challenge to the BJP’s attempt to expand the UCC nationwide and highlights growing political and social contestation over the proposed changes to personal laws in India.
