Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is attempting to do what Maharashtra’s Nationalist Congress Social gathering chief Sharad Pawar couldn’t — hold his flock collectively.
Since final Friday, he has been holding one-on-one talks with JD(U) lawmakers and legislators, social gathering leaders advised ThePrint — a growth that comes amid rumblings inside the social gathering about its alliance with on-again-off-again accomplice Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
JD(U) leaders ThePrint spoke to stated that the Bihar CM — who break up from BJP-led Nationwide Democratic Alliance (NDA) final yr for the second time in a decade — was holding talks and getting “suggestions” from elected representatives of his social gathering.
“I used to be shocked once I obtained a name from the CM’s home,” JD(U)’s Pipra MLA Ramvilas Kamat advised ThePrint. “There was numerous hypothesis within the media. However once I met him final Friday for 10 minutes, he requested me in regards to the issues in my constituency and advised me to tell folks about why we left the BJP.”
Amongst these Nitish met is Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, who had been criticised for having attended the inauguration of the brand new Parliament constructing in Could when his social gathering, JD(U), boycotted the occasion. The 2 met Monday, in response to media studies.
The timing of those conferences is especially vital. The social gathering is on the point of combat the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as a part of the mahagathbandhan — which incorporates the RJD, the Congress and Left events just like the Communist Social gathering of India (CPI) and the Communist Social gathering of India (Marxist).
There may be additionally dissatisfaction inside the JD(U) over its alliance with the RJD, the one largest social gathering within the 243-member home with 75 MLAs as in opposition to the JD(U)’s 43. In keeping with a JD(U) MLA who didn’t need to be named, it’s the RJD that’s presently within the driver’s seat of the alliance — a undeniable fact that hasn’t gone down nicely with a number of MLAs within the social gathering.
Neeraj Kumar, a JD(U) MLC, admitted that the purpose of the conferences was to mollify some legislators, particularly with BJP leaders like Sushil Modi — a frontrunner who was as soon as Nitish’s deputy CM in Bihar — claiming that some JD(U) MPs and MLAs had been in talks along with his social gathering, in response to media studies.
“Secondly, he (Nitish) had been unable to satisfy his legislators as a result of he was busy with the Opposition assembly (that the Bihar CM hosted final month) and so he selected to satisfy them (now),” Kumar, one among a number of leaders who met Nitish, advised ThePrint.
He additionally dismissed allegations that JD(U) leaders had been “lining up” to hitch the NDA.
“The outcomes of 2015 meeting polls when Nitish and Laluji had been collectively and when NDA was worn out would show an important deterrent in opposition to any potential defection,” he stated.
In keeping with the BJP nonetheless, there could also be a rise up brewing inside the JD(U) and the conferences are a solution to keep away from it. “Although Bihar and Maharashtra can’t be equated, JD(U) is uneasy. There are 16 sitting MPs from Bihar in JD(U). Can the social gathering get 16 Lok Sabha seats to contest within the mahagathbandhan which has six events?” BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Modi requested, whereas chatting with ThePrint.
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‘Maharashtra, Bihar not comparable’
Allies nonetheless don’t see an NCP-like rise up occurring inside the JD(U) anytime quickly.
“Communication allows a frontrunner to get a grip of floor realities and suggestions. It has a optimistic influence politically,” RJD chief and former MP Vijay Krishna, believed to be a detailed affiliate of Nitish, advised ThePrint.
JD(U) leaders, too, say that the 2 conditions usually are not comparable. A JD(U) MLA who didn’t need to be named stated that not like in Maharashtra, there’s no Ajit Pawar in JD(U).
“There isn’t any chief in JD(U) who has the capability to remove 30 of the 45 MLAs of the social gathering. Anybody who had claimed the legacy of Nitish Kumar, reminiscent of R.C.P Singh and Upendra Kushwaha, have already been ousted,” the MLA stated. Whereas former JD(U) chief R.C.P Singh joined the BJP in Could, Kushwaha, who had a love-hate relationship with the JD(U) and Nitish, stop the social gathering in February to drift his personal outfit, the Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal.
Nonetheless, regardless of claims on the contrary, there appears to be a level of discontent brewing with the JD(U) — rooted primarily within the social gathering’s alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD. Nitish’s affiliation with Lalu dates again to Gandhian socialist chief Jayaprakash Narayan’s pupil motion in Bihar within the 70s and has been via uneven political waters, with the 2 finally turning political adversaries. In 2013, after he broke ties with the BJP, Nitish determined to show to RJD and Lalu — an alliance that remained till 2017, when the JD(U) chief went again to the BJP.
In keeping with JD(U) leaders, Nitish’s resolution to return to the mahagathbandhan in August 2022 has triggered some rancour inside the social gathering. A JD(U) MLA advised ThePrint that there was feeling within the social gathering that it was a extra aggressive RJD, with its place as a extra dominant accomplice, that’s now calling the photographs.
For example of this, the JD(U) chief cited the bureaucratic transfers in June.
“June is the month of transfers of the decrease forms. Each MLA would need his selection of individuals to be posted in his constituency. However in June, whereas RJD MLAs managed to get their males transferred, the claims of JD(U) MLAs had been ignored,” stated the MLA.
Moreover, there’s the worry that many sitting JD(U) MPs and MLAs might not get tickets within the upcoming elections — whereas Nitish managed to discount with the BJP for an equal variety of seats within the 2020 Bihar meeting election, he might not be capable of pull it off with the RJD, the chief stated.
“Already we’re seeing areas of battle. In Jehanabad, RJD state cooperative minister Surendra Yadav has began his marketing campaign regardless of there being a sitting JDU MP (Chandeshwar Prasad),” the legislator stated.
BJP, in the meantime, is sensing a chance. Talking to reporters within the gentle of the developments in Maharashtra, BJP’s Sushil Modi advised reporters Monday: “In Bihar additionally, an environment of rise up is build up within the JD(U) since Nitish Kumar introduced the RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav as his successor and accepted Rahul Gandhi as chief within the subsequent combat. Not one of the JD(U) MLAs or MPs is able to settle for Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav”.
He was responding to a query on whether or not he sees a Maharashtra-like situation taking part in in Bihar.
Though admitting that the 2 conditions can’t be equated, Sushil Modi advised ThePrint that JD(U) legislators usually are not comfy with both Rahul Gandhi or Tejashwi Yadav as a result of they’d contested in opposition to the 2 events up to now and had all the time seen them as political adversaries.
“Nitish Kumar broke off with the BJP with out consulting his MLAs and that’s the reason they’re uncomfortable. There’s a rise up ready to occur,” he advised ThePrint.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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