A Sunday Guardian report opens with the following words:
Fed up with RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU president Nitish Kumar is said to have opened “channels” with the BJP to explore “options”. At present, Nitish Kumar is heading a coalition government of JDU, RJD and Congress in Bihar.
Though nobody is saying it officially, The Sunday Guardian has learnt from reliable sources that a senior JDU leader, who is a doctor by profession, is “hobnobbing” with BJP leaders in New Delhi in order to work out a “reunion”. His father is also a well-known doctor in Patna and had contested the Lok Sabha elections from Patna Sahib.
Since I happen to be a voter from the Patna Sahib Constituency, let me tell you who these leaders are. The report most probably talks about Dr. Ajay Alok, spokesperson of JD(U) whose father Padma Shri Dr. Gopal Prasad Sinha is arguably the most famous neurologist in Bihar. He unsuccessfully contested in 2014 General elections from the Patna Sahib constituency under the Janata Dal (United) candidacy, against the incumbent MP, Shatrughan Sinha.
The report further states that JD(U) toned down its hostile attitude against PM Modi and BJP at large which is perceptible from difference in the tone of JD(U) spokespersons. Ajay Alok happens to be one, himself. BJP too has been receptive towards JDU’s friendly advances and has indicated warmth for Nitish Kumar and JDU. JDU leaders Nitish Kumar, Sharad Yadav and Harivansh were inducted in the 149-member national-level committee to celebrate Jan Sangh founder, Deendayal Upadhyay’s birth centenary. This is quite interesting as Nitish Kumar was rooting for “Sangh Mukt Bharat” some time back.
In the month of August 2016, Bhagalpur MP Shailesh Kumar alias Bulo Mandal of the RJD had “suggested” that Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu’s younger son and Bihar Deputy CM should be made the CM of Bihar by next year. This statement was significant because of three reasons. Firstly, Bulo Mandal is a close confidante of the Yadav family. Secondly, that was the second time in a week that Mandal made the same recommendation. And thirdly it could have been a part of a strategy to gauge the public mood as Party Supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav was convening a meeting of existing and former party MPs and MLAs in Patna on 30 August.
So looks like something did really come out of the 30th August churn. Something that has made Nitish Kumar very desperate.
Currently this is how the Bihar assembly looks like:
RJD: 80
JDU: 71
Congress: 27
CPI-ML: 3
Independent: 4
NDA: 58 (BJP: 53, LJP+RLSP+HAM: 5)
Bihar Assembly’s magic figure stands at 122. A +9 advantage, old association with Sonia Gandhi and the Left parties will help RJD. If RJD decides to move a resolution within the party to make Tejashwi the CM, It wouldn’t be much of an issue for Lalu Prasad Yadav, considering the wily political manager that he is. But if it actually happens, it will be curtains for CM Nitish Kumar.
But if Nitish Kumar goes back to NDA, they’ll have 129 seats in total. A comfortable majority.
But a lot has changed since the famous JDU-BJP breakup. Nitish Kumar cannot do Yes to BJP, No to Modi anymore, because the dynamics have completely changed and the Bihari Modi (Sushil Modi that is) has been cut to size. This move will mean Nitish Kumar bending his knees to Narendra Modi – his arch nemesis.
But if BJP-JDU patch up happens, people of Bihar will be the ultimate beneficiaries. Bihar is slowly seeing a revival of the dreaded Jungle Raj of the 1990s. BJP and JDU together rid Bihar of Gundaism and Bahubali culture but the rebirth of RJD is undoing every achievement of the past 10 years.
