The recent showing by the BJP in the Assembly elections in five states have not only buoyed up the spirit of the Saffron might, but has also, on the other hand, revealed the current form of the Opposition and their status among the voters. And these recently concluded Assembly elections will have its impact on other states more so with the recent upheavals which are taking place in the INDIA bloc almost on a daily basis.
With the onset of 2024, the net practice for the Lok Sabha has begun and this, probably will turn out to be the toughest year for the Opposition, given the current scenario.
With about four months left for the mega final, the INDIA alliance is set to face its biggest challenge.
When I say so, I take into account the recent happenings in JDU and try to chronicle what has happened to botch up things further for the INDIA alliance.
On Friday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar regained the reins of the JDU, by getting Lalan Singh to step down.
A political resolution adopted at the JDU national executive described him (Nitish) as the “architect” of the INDIA combine, highlighted his leadership abilities and went ahead to urge “bigger parties” (the Congress) to show “a big heart”. Thus, few in the JDU leadership ranks were confused about their leader’s message.
“Today, the people of the country are watching the I.N.D.I.A. alliance with keen eyes. The National Executive and National Council of JDU believe that the bigger parties in the alliance have more responsibility. To make this grand alliance successful, they will have to show a big heart. If a leader is to be given responsibility according to his experience and working capacity, he will have to be generous in doing so. We will have to forget our small differences and show rock-solid unity,” the resolution said, promoting Nitish as “the hope of the backwards, extremely backwards, deprived sections, minorities and crores of unemployed youths”. It went on to say, “The BJP is rattled as the INDIA bloc has a leader like Nitish Kumar.”
At the closed-door session of the national executive, Nitish is learnt to have vented his unhappiness over the affairs of the INDIA bloc, especially with the Congress not quite recognising his attempts to try and uplift the cause of the backward especially by not giving him the due credit for the caste-based survey he had successfully done in Bihar. Also, Congress’s dilly-dallying with the seat talks has not got down well with him.
In all this Khela hobe mode, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is sitting pretty and looks to be equalling Jawaharlal Nehru’s record of returning to the PMO thrice in a row.
What Nitish has done has enough reasons to upset the RJD given the proximity of Lalan Singh with Bihar’s political strongman Lalu Prasad. And it may be recalled that the Bihar Assembly Speaker also met Lalu thus triggering more speculation not only in Bihar politics but in the INDIA bloc matters in the Big Picture.
In politics, strange bedfellows have always been the hot topic for discussion. Sample this… Bihar’s former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday claimed CM Nitish Kumar was in touch with the Saffron leadership and could return to the NDA fold, a comment that has already invited strong rebuttal from JD (U).
The Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief said Nitish had become extra cautious ever since two senior JD (U) leaders met him two months back with a proposal to install RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav as the chief minister.
“Nitish had strongly objected to this proposal and the issue ultimately resulted in a change of guard in the JD (U),” Manjhi said, referring to the CM’s return as the president of his party recently. “However, Nitish has now got assurance of support from the BJP in the event of around a dozen JD (U) legislators deserting the party. This means, Nitish might switch sides again,” he added.
Lambasting him, the JD (U) accused the former CM of spreading “rumours” under BJP pressure. “Despite being a senior leader, Manjhiji is talking nonsense. He must refrain from making irresponsible statements,” JD (U) national general secretary Rajib Ranjan said.
However, despite JD (U)’s strong denial, the state’s political circles are going through a whirlpool of theories over Nitish’s possible move.
Meanwhile, the Legislative Council chairman Devesh Chandra Thakur, too, set the political grapevine to work overtime with his comment that Nitish was his leader and he would follow the CM “wherever he goes”.
If this is the status of JDU presently, things for the INDIA bloc in West Bengal are not so perfect either, with the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently saying that if any party in Bengal was capable of taking on the might of the BJP that is the TMC. This, however, has not gone down well with the constituent parties even as there has been no attempt so far to demonstrate any bonhomie amongst each other.
Clearing its stand, the TMC, however, went on to say that it may be recalled how it (the TMC) played its role as an Opposition and was instrumental in ousting the Left Front regime after a historic tenure of 34 years.
Meanwhile, with Nitish babu busy in setting his house in order and the TMC trying to prove its supremacy over the rest of the constituent parties in the bloc, the Congress has an unenvious task of creating a “conglomerate” and immediately finalise the seat talks, even as it’s not quite on the same page with its constituent parties like Samajwadi Party on the same page in north India and the recent polls as I have in the beginning said has exposed Congress and the bloc’s constituent party’s status in the Hindi Heartland.
The scenario for the INDIA bloc has not been hopeful and one may really wonder where it shall go from here.
(The writer is a Senior Journalist and former Senior Associate Editor, O Heraldo, Goa)
