Will the Sonia-Nitish Show of Strength be Able to Stall the BJP?

Sonia-Nitish taking on BJP may transform into a backward vs upper caste battle with development being the casualty.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi with Bihar Chief Minister and Senior JD(U) Leader Nitish Kumar during the Swabhiman rally at Gandhi Maidan, in Patna, August 30, 2015. (Photo: PTI)

Battle in Bihar

• Sonia praises Nitish for establishing the rule of law in Bihar and taking the state forward in terms of development
• Sonia backing Nitish might help stall BJP’s march in Bihar
• BJP still undecided on the number of seats it’s contesting as well as its chief ministerial candidate
• Lesson learnt from Delhi debacle, therefore BJP falling back on its star campaigner, PM Modi

On Sunday, Sonia Gandhi, for the first time in her political career, shared the dais with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna. This was the same venue from where the late Jaya Prakash Narayan (fondly known as JP) had called for Sampoorna Kranti (total revolution), around 40 years ago to protest against Indira Gandhi’s excesses.

Yesterday’s rally was historic in the sense that the Congress, JD (U), RJD and the Samajwadi Party leaders came together, arguably for the first time on to one platform, thereby giving ample indication of the new emerging political equations in the Hindi heartland. Till now, Janata Parivar leaders had indicated a merger of their respective regional outfits (which, however, could not take place), but if the Congress joined their fledgling group, it would add muscle to this ‘secular’ grouping.

No wonder, buoyed by a huge gathering, Sonia not only assailed her bête noire Narendra Modi but also showered encomiums on Nitish and Lalu, the two regional chieftains who have buried the hatchet.

Modi vs the Rest

“Some people have made it a habit of making snide remarks about their opponents,” Sonia hit out at Modi for his slur against Nitish, and added that all the Prime Minister had done in the last 15 months was ‘showbaazi’. “One fourth of his tenure is over. But all he has done is merely showbaazi,” Sonia minced no words in assailing the PM.

Flanked by the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, former Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Sonia praised Nitish for establishing the rule of law in Bihar and taking Bihar a quantum leap forward in terms of development.

Stalling BJP’s March

In political parlance, Sonia’s praise for Nitish is being seen as the first sign of the Congress and the JD(U) joining forces. From 1996 to 2013, Nitish was part of the NDA and, therefore, remained a valuable ally of the BJP. But after being routed in the Lok Sabha polls, both the Congress and the JD (U) realised that if they have to take the BJP head-on, then the enemies of the common enemy have to be friends.

It is believed that Sonia’s presence on Sunday would have given Nitish much-needed moral support to stop the BJP’s march into the state.

Touted to be the mother of all battles, the Bihar Assembly polls will be a direct contest between the grand alliance (comprising JD-U and RJD) and the NDA which has the Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP, Upendra Kushwaha’s RLSP and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) as its allies.

Seat-sharing arrangements for the 243 constituencies may well result in the JD(U) contesting 100 seats, RJD 98, Congress 40, and SP 5. The BJP has not been able to resolve its seat sharing imbroglio. Nor has it been able to arrive at a consensus on its chief ministerial candidate.

BJP’s Gameplan

Smarting from the setback it suffered in the Delhi Assembly elections, the BJP is in no mood to project anyone as its CM nominee. All it has to boast of, is its star campaigner Narendra Modi, who, the BJP feels, could help the saffron outfit win Bihar.

Actually, Bihar has been one state in the Hindi belt which has not seen a BJP chief minister. The previous CMs in the state have been either from the Congress or the Janata Parivar.

Your DNA versus Mine

But with battle-lines drawn, neither camp will miss any opportunity to show its opponents in a poor light. Sunday’s Swabhiman (self- respect) rally was convened to highlight the slur Modi had heaped on Nitish when the Prime Minister said at Muzaffarpur’s rally last month, “there is something wrong in Nitish’s DNA.”

On Sunday, Nitish blasted Modi and asserted that he was the son of a freedom fighter. “The RSS leaders, who never took part in the freedom movement, are questioning my DNA, which is not only sad, but has also hurt the sentiments of Biharis,” Nitish tried to strike an emotional chord with the audience.

With Lalu too exhorting those belonging to his caste to stand with Nitish like a rock, it will be interesting to watch whether it will be a straightforward BJP-led alliance battle against the Janata Parivar, or if the elections fast turn into a fight between backward and forward classes. Unfortunately though, development has already become a casualty this election.

(The writer is a Patna-based journalist.)