“When a state like West Bengal, known for radical land reforms, failed to bring such legislation protecting sharecroppers, a state like Bihar can’t venture into it,” Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said in Patna.

The chief minister said his government had no binding to abide by the recommendations of the commission.

He said he had ordered constitution of an expert committee to weigh the recommendations and suggest steps to be taken by the government in this connection.

“The furore is a political ploy which people well understand.” Deputy Chief Minister S K Modi also clarified “No one in Bihar will lose land, nor is the land reforms suggestions or recommendations are mandatory and binding on the state.” BJP and JD(U) insiders, however, feel that the issue has provided ammunition to the opposition, which would try to keep it alive till the 2010 assembly polls.

“We must have coordinated efforts to allay the fears gripping landlords and farmers in Bihar,” Modi said.

The statement by the deputy chief minister earlier that the state government would extend the benefits of Kisan Credit Cards to sharecroppers had added to the concern of upper caste land owners.

The genesis of the debate was the report on land reform of former Revenue and Rural Development Secretary D Bandyopadhyay who handed it over to Chief Minister in July.

The report was subsequently tabled in the state assembly.

Fuelled by utterances of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad that the state government might legislate to grant enhanced land rights to sharecroppers, a section of BJP leaders revolted against Modi for his statement that the state would extend the benefits of loans under the KCCs to sharecroppers.