In the 2019 general elections, BJP led NDA recorded its highest ever tally in the state of Bihar currently led by Nitish Kumar. It won 39 out of 40 seats, the only seat the BJP led NDA lost was Kishanganj. NDA won over 50 percent of popular vote in the state and all of this was possible due to the trust the electorate bestowed in PM Modi.
The result has stirred up another interesting outcome and that is sinking the popularity of Nitish Kumar, the ill-famed dal badlu chief minister of Bihar who changes alliances at the drop of a hat without delving into the nitty-gritties of ‘ethics and ideology’. Since the result of 2019 Lok Sabha election results, there have been repeated demands for one thing- removal of Nitish Kumar from the CM chair. The party workers of BJP want the party to go ahead alone for the 2020 assembly election or make JDU a junior partner, and therefore have the chief ministerial candidate from BJP. The party karyakartas have asked for a young chief ministerial candidate to replace the 68 year old Nitish Kumar.
Yesterday, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Sanjay Paswan echoed the sentiments of party workers and said Nitish Kumar “should now move to the Centre” and leave Bihar to “BJP and the second-rung JDU leadership”.
“Nitish Kumar has now been the Chief Minister of Bihar for over 13 years and there should be a change now even if it is a change for the sake of change. Nitish Kumar has done very well as Chief Minister but should now move to Centre and leave Bihar to BJP and second-rung JDU leadership,” said Paswan who currently MLC in Bihar Legislative Council.
JDU looks desperate to place Nitish Kumar once again on the Chief Ministerial seat. A few days ago, posters with slogan “Kyun Kare Vichar, Thike to hai Nitish Kumar” which literally translates into ‘Why think for a change, Nitish Kumar is OK as CM’ appeared on the streets of Patna. This shows that JDU wants to shunt any chances of Nitish Kumar’s removal from CM’s race in next assembly election.
Taking on the poster politics of JDU, Paswan said “We do not know where these posters are coming from. There has not been any NDA meeting and Assembly election is some time away. It looks to be the JDU ’s sole decision to play up Nitish Kumar’s leadership again…”
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, through years of deft political maneuvering had managed to position himself as ‘Sushasan Babu’ as a counter against the Jungle Raj practised by Lalu Prasad Yadav led RJD. His image as the ‘Sushasan Babu’ of Bihar stands severely battered after his government’s inept handling of recent tragedies- encephalitis and floods.
While he is famed to have brought ‘Sushaashan’ in the state but development still remains a far cry in the state. So far, he has ruled the state for 13 long years and Bihar continues to remain one of the poorest regions of the country.
Nitish Kumar learned the first lessons of politics under the tutelage of socialist icon, Jayprakash Narayan and ‘socialism’ remains evident in his economic policies. Over the reign of 13 years, he has tried to distribute wealth and deliver public services rather than ‘encouraging’ the creation of wealth. He has used the money given by ‘central government’ and that sent by ‘migrant laborers’ to distribute freebies to poor people rather than spending on infrastructure, industrial development and attracting ‘services companies’.
From 2019 general election verdict, it is very clear that the electorate tilts towards PM Modi. It was in his name that LJP and JDU registered impressive numbers too. It’s time for the BJP to take control in its own hands and stake the claim for the Chief Minister’s chair to bring a new era of development in Bihar.