The BJP is taking the battle of Bihar to a new height by planning to organise hundreds of street corner meetings and public rallies as it waits for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to kick start his second round of poll campaign from October 2.
As against the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance, which has projected Nitish Kumar its Chief Ministerial candidate, the BJP has gone into the fray without any Chief Ministerial nominee. The party is relying heavily on the charisma of Modi to win the high-stake contest which will have impact on the course of national polity.
A good performance in the Bihar polls will encourage the NDA Government to push its economic reform agenda — including the passing of the pending legislation on Goods and Services Tax. It is also a must win situation for the BJP following their defeat in the Delhi Assembly polls.
The Prime Minister, who will be back from his foreign visit on September 29, may set off for his campaign sorties on October 2 from Banka followed by another on October 4 in lakhisarai, both of which are going to polls in the first phase on October 12. Despite its sweep in the State in lok Sabha elections, the BJP had lost from Banka and the party is now making enormous effort to win new grounds in the places it had not done well in the 2014 polls.
Modi has already addressed five public rallies in Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Saharsa, Ara and Bhagalpur.
Though no official confirmation has come on the schedule of Prime Minister’s rallies in October-November polls, it is expected that he would address over 15 major public meetings in the five-phased elections.
According to sources in the BJP, the party has done an elaborate exercise to plug loopholes in booth management and asked leaders at the local level to ensure “winning votes” in their respective booths. The PM’s Jeevan Suraksha Yojna and opening of bank accounts are part of campaigning with local leadership enrolling people in the schemes and informing them about the social security schemes extended by the Central Government. “It is yielded good results on the ground”, claimed one of the central BJP leaders in-charge of the State.
The two rival alliances — National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and JD(U)-RJD-Congress — have declared their candidates for all the seats barring a few and thus stage is set for the massive mobilisation of votes from both the sides. Rebellion candidates have further spiced up the contest which has already turned tricky with multiple caste equations weighing in the minds of camp strategists of the opposite camps.
The BJP seeks to launch its carpet bombing by organising 350 to 400 rallies by around 100 party leaders (Central and State) of which a list of 40 has already been submitted to the Election Commission. Besides, lok Janshakti Party of Ramvilas Paswan, Rashtriya lok Samta Party of Upendra Kushwaha and Hindustani Awam Morcha leader and former Chief Minister JitenRam Manhi would be hosting their own as also joint-rallies with the BJP in the State.
As against NDA’s development agenda, Nitish-lalu combine has been trying to play the backward castes card, particularly after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s call for a debate on the reservation policy. The BJP is hoping that “younger generation” may not vote on the caste line and could come round to it with an eye on “the promises and potential” for employment generation and skill development programmes initiated by the Modi Government.
Bihar will have a five-phase poll between October 12 and November 5. Counting of votes would be on November 8.