‘Nitish Kumar Is Bound To Lose Chief Minister’s Chair This Year’
Govind Mishra, a political science student in Lucknow University with roots in Bihar, says BJP-JDU combine is on a sticky wicket in Bihar this time. His views:
Lately, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is showing signs of ageing. His cognitive functions and incoherent statements made at public places have made his own party and the alliance partner BJP uneasy. There are already doubts being raised about his capabilities to remain in office.
Even opinion polls ahead of the assembly elections have shown that Nitish is no longer the first choice as Bihar Chief Minister for a majority of the respondents. However, I wonder why the NDA can’t see the writing on the wall. During my recent visit to my home state I saw new slogans and punch-lines being coined in favour of the ageing politician. One of them was: Pachchis se tees, Fir se Nitish. Clearly, they are again projecting Nitish as NDA’s CM candidate.
To my limited understanding of politics, I see this is a miscalculation on the part of NDA. They fail to realise that the Nitish is over. Media reports have also indicated that fielding Nitish as the CM face has triggered conflicting voices and internal bickering among NDA alliance partners.
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini recently said that the BJP will win the Bihar elections under the leadership of Samrat Chaudhary, indicating his choice for the CM face. Chirag Paswan, Union minister and leader of NDA partner LJP (Ram Vilas), has declared that his party will contest all the 243 seats in Bihar. All these incidents have put the BJP on a defensive footing in Bihar. Their poll managers are busy fire fighting instead of drafting election strategy. And the Bihar electorate can see which way the wind is blowing.
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The Congress, which leads the Opposition INDIA bloc, is quick to grab the opportunity by announcing that the NDA is staring at a coup from inside. INDIA bloc has already launched a vigorous political campaign even before the election dates have been announced. Besides the Congress, the INDIA bloc comprises Tejashwi Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Left parties and the newly induced Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) which was part of the NDA in the last elections and won four seats.
In the last elections in 2020, the INDIA bloc had finished close to the NDA with 110 seats (NDA won 125). This time they have revitalized their campaign by raising issues such as the caste census, the Waqf Act, Vote Chori and the deteriorating law and order situation in the state over the past few months. Rahul Gandhi has already covered about 50 Assembly constituencies in his recent Vote Adhikar Yatra.
Over and out, the elections this time, as all previous times, is going to be an interesting contest, with all the parties and coalitions reaching out to the voters with fresh promises and a long list of pre-election promises.
As told to Rajat Rai
