BJP'S PLAN B?

The race for Bihar has suddenly opened up, just weeks ahead of a three-phase assembly election, which gets under way on October 28. The NDA alliance is officially riven, with Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) deciding to categorically back the BJP even while declaring war against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) or JD(U).

- Amitabh Srivastava

The BJP is officially going into the election with Nitish as the chief ministerial candidate and yet has not only humoured Chirag’s belligerence vis-à-vis Nitish but also had independent talks with the LJP president in the national capital. There is no official word on what transpired in the talks, but it has been enough to sets tongues wagging. It may even have given the opposition a fighting chance.

Just consider the dichotomy of a clear endorsement of Nitish’s leadership, only last month, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying “everything was possible with an ally like Nitishji”, and Chirag’s appeal to the people of Bihar to not “waste any votes on the JD(U)”, even while throwing in his lot with the BJP.

While declaring his decision to go solo, Chirag has also promised to put up candidates against the JD(U), but not against the BJP, which seems like a well-thought-out strategy to help the saffron party. “Do you think the Bihar voters are fools? They are the most politically aware people in India. The BJP cannot continue to sail in two boats. This will only hurt the NDA,” says a senior JD(U) leader, requesting anonymity. In maintaining an awkward silence on Chirag’s offensive against Nitish and the JD(U), the BJP is possibly hoping to pocket the 4.5 per cent Paswan vote in the state. The BJP seems to believe that there is some anti-incumbency working against Nitish and the JD(U), and that the LJP’s shenanigans may help it emerge as the single largest party in Bihar.