Hari shankar vyas
It is a known fact that JDU leaders wanted Congress President Sonia Gandhi to mediate the merger of Janata family as well as talk to Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh. But the Congress didn’t take any initiative until now. It was only when the process of the merger stopped, and the RJD and JDU were on the verge of a break-up that the Congress became active. Probably the Congress is worried that if the merger doesn’t materialise, then the BJP would get a walkover in Bihar and it would be difficult to stop the party in other parts of the country. So, the Congress wants to stop the triangular fight in the State.
That is the reason why Congress has started meddling in the alliance of RJD and JDU. After meeting Sonia, BPCC President Ashok Chaudhary said the Congress will tie up with JDU, and Nitish Kumar will be the CM candidate. Though, soon after Chaudhary’s statement, Congress spokesperson said the party would not ignore RJD supremo Lalu. It means the Congress will mediate between Lalu and Nitish, and will coax them to go together. The Congress may also persuade NCP and both parties of the Left to come together with an aim to stop the BJP. Though the strongest Left party in Bihar is CPI(ML), which will not be a part of this alliance.
Rahul Vs Sonia on Bihar
Which party will the Congress form an alliance with in Bihar? This is a million dollar question which can cause tension between Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Resentment between RJD and JDU is not going down. RJD is adamant on its three basic demands. It says that its vote bank has increased, so it needs more seats; RJD leaders are demanding minimum 142 seats. The second demand is to take Jitan Ram Manjhi with the Janata family, and third demand is to declare the leader after the elections. Nitish has not agreed to any of these demands.
In this scenario, RJD and JDU may part ways. Now the question is: What will be the strategy of the Congress? The party is seemingly soft towards Nitish. Probably Rahul has indicated this during talks with BPCC President Ashok Chaudhary. And now the news is that Congress leaders of the State are gearing up to fight elections in alliance with Nitish. But this decision is not final.
The Congress is trying to get RJD and JDU on one platform. It is even ready to fight on very few seats if the alliance is finalised. But if the alliance doesn’t work out, then probably Sonia and other senior leaders of the Congress might try for tie up with Lalu. If that happens, there will be tension between Sonia and Rahul. Rahul is not happy about going with Lalu; on the other hand, Sonia doesn’t want to leave Lalu. So, the decision on Bihar will not be an easy one for the Congress.
Main face against NDA
Who will be the main face against NDA – Lalu or Nitish? To polarise Muslim voters and to unite voters who are not happy with the BJP, it is necessary to reveal the face against the BJP and Narendra Modi. Nitish comes first to mind as he had broken his alliance with the BJP when Modi was given the responsibility to lead the campaign. But after witnessing defeat in the Lok Sabha Elections, and the unsuccessful experiment with Manjhi, Nitish’s tone has changed. He has given an indication to work in coordination with the Modi Government at the Centre. But as the elections are nearing, he will have to follow a hard line.
On the other hand, Lalu is known to be anti-BJP from the very beginning, but has helped the party time and again. Recently, his party helped the BJP in Parliament. Other stalwarts like Naveen Patnaik, HD Deve Gowda, Karunanidhi and Mamata Banerjee have been associated with the BJP at one point or another.
This is the first time when Lalu is facing the allegation of helping the BJP. It is also being said that something has happened behind the scenes and after that Lalu has not let the merger process be completed. It is also being said that there are problems in the alliance due to Lalu’s pressure on Nitish. To end these speculations, Lalu has intensified his attack on Modi. He is of the view that if he doesn’t make himself pivotal in the anti-Modi plank, the Muslim vote bank would become unhappy. Both Lalu and Nitish have started positioning themselves as the tallest secular leader, in case the alliance doesn’t happen.
An eventful first year
Modi Government has completed one year, and throughout this period it has been in events mode. Functions have been organised to keep ministers, MPs, officials, school and colleges, and the media busy. For the last two weeks, the Government has been celebrating its first anniversary with various events. The PM’s Bangladesh visit is in itself a big event. Modi has managed to turn every foreign visit into a grand event.
