Quickly after Nitish Kumar broke the alliance to kind authorities with RJD in Bihar, the state BJP, now within the Opposition, introduced Kushwaha chief Samrat Choudhary because the chief of the Opposition within the Legislative Council. Choudhary spoke with The Indian Specific on his technique of attacking Nitish’s authorities out and in of the Bihar legislature, the significance of Luv-Kush votes, BJP’s try at appropriating JP’s ideology, Tejashwi Yadav, and the scramble for the CM face throughout the BJP. Excerpts:
Now that BJP has reshuffled its state management by dropping former deputy CMs Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi and making Vijay Kumar Sinha the chief of the Opposition within the Meeting and also you the chief of the Opposition within the Council, how do you propose to alter issues for the get together?
Choudhary: For the final 17 years, Nitish Kumar has not confronted any opposition within the Higher Home, with Rabri Devi being the chief of the Opposition for 13 years of NDA rule. She has hardly requested the federal government any powerful questions. However the Nitish-led Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) is now dealing with a troublesome opposition in Bihar legislature. See how Nitish was put below strain to declare that JP’s dying anniversary (October 9) could be commemorated? Why did he accomplish that solely after Union dwelling minister Amit Shah introduced his go to to Sitab Diara, JP’s paternal village in Saran? Nitish has been displaying indicators of nervousness ever since Shah declared he could be making frequent visits to Bihar. Because the chief of the Opposition within the Council, I’ve been hauling up Nitish on questions of regulation and order, governance deficit and his ideological dilemma. Can the CM reply why Bihar continues to be final amongst states in growth since 1990?
How do you react to RJD and JD(U) accusing the BJP of enjoying politics of symbolism by attempting to personal up JP’s legacy?
Choudhary: Lalu Prasad, essentially the most well-known chief rising out of the JP Motion, used to say {that a} king shouldn’t be born out of the womb of a queen however come from among the many widespread folks. However he gave delivery to a queen when he provided the CM chair to his spouse Rabri Devi. And Rabri Devi’s son (Tejashwi) is aspiring to turn out to be a king (CM). Is that what JP’s socialism and beliefs meant? JP talked about folks’s energy, not of one-family rule. He had stood up towards dynast Indira Gandhi. As for Nitish, he himself has not been following ‘politics with out ideology’, one of many seven sins recognized by Mahatma Gandhi. Satirically and fairly ludicrously, Nitish obtained the record of “seven sins” written on partitions of colleges and different official buildings. Is his frequent altering of alliance companions in consonance with ‘polotics with out ideas’ (the primary sin identifoed by Gandhi)? One other sin recognized by Gandhi was “wealth with out labour”. How can one individual (Tejashwi) personal over 50 properties at such a younger age?
But, Nitish selected to be within the firm of such folks… We’re following the beliefs of JP in the actual sense by working for the uplift of the poor. ABVP activists dominated the JP Motion. We don’t must co-opt JP. We’ve got at all times adopted him, however these claiming to his disciples have strayed from path proven by him. Bihar has not seen any politics of alliance within the final 17 years. Slightly, it’s at all times politics of Nitish, both with us or with the RJD.
You may have been essential of Nitish Kumar even when he was a part of the NDA alliance. Any particular purpose?
Choudhary: Nitish Kumar is an individual who has used his friends and seniors most for his political benefit, proper from George Fernandes and Sharad Yadav, to my father and former MLA Shakuni Choudhary. I bear in mind when the Bihar Folks’s Celebration (BPP) of Anand Mohan merged with Samata Celebration in 1996, solely to see Anand Mohan’s political profession sink. The Samata Celebration was primarily of the Luv-Kush (Koeri-Kurmi) constituency that additionally has assist of the EBC Dhanuk caste. However Nitish didn’t promote any Kushwaha/Kurmi chief apart from himself.
Now that the BJP has made you the chief of the Opposition within the Council, how would you have a look at drawing away and even splitting Nitish’s core Kurmi constituency?
Choudhary: One ought to hit the bottom to know the reality, submit Nitish breaking away from the BJP. There’s enormous disenchantment among the many Luv-Kush communities, which, together with the Dhanuks, are about 13-14 per cent of the inhabitants within the state. The Luv-Kush are fast paced away from Nitish — which is usually a game-changer for us. With Nitish giving all alerts of handing over the reins of Bihar to Lalu’s scion, the Luv-Kush constituency would discover extra causes to maneuver away from him. Moreover, it’s a fallacy to imagine that each one Luv-Kush voters are with JD(U)… Nitish could be speaking of seven events versus the BJP, however he ought to do not forget that Luv-Kush will go along with Lord Rama’s get together. For lengthy, Lord Rama needed to stay in tents in Ayodhya. However now, after courtroom orders, a grand temple is developing. Luv-Kush won’t bow all the way down to Lalu. We have a look at an assimilative mixture of Vaishya, higher caste, EBC, Dalits and Luv-Kush. Lalu would possibly maintain on to his Muslim-Yadav (MY) constituency, however Nitish’s EBC and Luv-Kush vote banks will disintegrate.
How do you see the current verdict of the Patna Excessive Courtroom on the ballot for native our bodies, and the EC deferring the ballot?
Choudhary: Nitish Kumar is solely answerable for the state of affairs. Because the then Panchayati Raj minister, I had met the CM together with the then deputy CM-cum-urban growth minister Tarkishore Prasad, following the suggestion of the Accountant Basic, to arrange a devoted fee to hold out an in depth survey on backwardness for native self-government, as was warranted by a 2021 Supreme Courtroom order. I additionally wish to know why Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi did not get reservation for any group between 1990 and 2015. It was with NDA that Nitish gave reservation to girls and EBCs in panchayats and native our bodies. One should not neglect that Nitish Kumar is the one who had opposed Karpoori Thakur proposal of giving reservation to OBCs and EBCs in 1978.
Why didn’t you set strain on Nitish to arrange the fee when he was a part of the NDA?
Choudhary: It’s solely as a result of we didn’t wish to harm the alliance. He had the most effective alliance with us. See how he has to offer prominence to Tejashwi and even has his {photograph} in authorities workplaces?
You may have additionally taken up the query of the encroachment of the Ashokan edict in Rohtas.
Choudhary: It is rather unlucky {that a} huge stretch of land the place there’s a historic Ashokan edict, has been encroached upon. Ashoka is one the largest symbols of historical Indian historical past. Because the Panchayati Raj minister, I had over 100 Panchayati Raj buildings constructed. We additionally performed a component within the naming of a grand constructing in Patna because the Samrat Ashok Conference Corridor.
How do you see Tejashwi as a pacesetter?
Choudhary: He’s a dynast, who has obtained the deputy CM submit on a platter. The likes of Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi are comfort-seeking leaders. When huge incidents occur, Tejashwi vanishes. He was not seen through the 2019 Patna floods or the Covid disaster.
Nitish Kumar has promised 10 lakh jobs and claimed to have created 10 lakh jobs already.
Choudhary: For no matter jobs he has created in well being, schooling and different sectors, we share equal credit score. It’s now all about how he creates an extra 10 lakh jobs… We additionally made some progress in business with a number of ethanol models developing. It was due to the Centre revisiting its coverage on ethanol.
Union dwelling minister Amit Shah just lately mentioned that BJP would declare its Bihar CM candidate after 2024 Lok Sabha polls? Are you within the race?
Choudhary: I’ve seen my household getting victimised by Lalu Prasad in 1995. We’ve got struggled laborious to return up. My father Shakuni Choudhary represented the Samata Celebration on the Lok Sabha…. I’m a easy get together employee. It’s fully as much as our management to take a name on the CM face.