In Bihar, BJP leaders are trying to take advantage of the infighting within the ruling JDU. BJP leaders feel that if CM Jitan Ram Manjhi maintains his autocratic approach, then the merger of RJD and JDU will be deferred. But what’s even more amazing is the fact that BJP leaders want early elections in the State, in fact just after Delhi polls. A senior leader feels that there is a positive effect of Jharkhand elections on Bihar. In Jharkhand, a non-tribal CM has taken command and it has been received positively in Bihar. Apart from this, they feel that the Narendra Modi wave still persists and hence this is the ideal time for elections.
BJP leaders in Bihar feel that if JDU and RJD merge, a consensus is made on the name of the leader, and Nitish Kumar and lalu Prasad Yadav campaign together, then it will very difficult to win the elections. Not only this, if Manjhi continues and the elections are held on time, then the fight will be more difficult. Many leaders feel the elections will be fought on caste-based equations. The BJP is also trying to set its equation right. Equation of OBC-Muslims and Mahadalits will be the main strength of JDU-RJD. That is the reason why BJP leaders want to stop the merger of JDU and RJD, and an early election. So, the BJP is supporting Manjhi, and Sushil Modi has said that the party is ready to back him completely.
lAlU, NITISH UNHAPPY WITH MANJHI
Has Manjhi made lalu unhappy along with NitishIJ This question is being asked in the political circles of Patna because Manjhi had gone to Sadhu Yadav’s house on Makar Sankranti. Around six years ago, Sadhu had parted ways with lalu, and ever since there has been no contact between the two families. Sadhu and his brother Subhash don’t go to lalu’s home. Sadhu goes to his sister’s house only on special occasions.
Sources say more than lalu, it is Rabri Devi and her children, especially Tej Pratap, who don’t like the brothers. In the last lok Sabha Elections, Sadhu had announced that he will fight his sister, though he backtracked later. However, Manjhi’s visit to Sadhu’s home has not been appreciated by lalu’s family. Though this is also true that the leaders of JDU are targeting lalu for this and saying that Manjhi had gone to Sadhu’s residence on his indication. But this is not true. lalu’s family doesn’t want Sadhu and Subhash to be a part of any political alliance. So, if Manjhi shows any sympathy towards him, that will certainly not be taken positively by the RJD. That is why RJD and BJP leaders are saying that the CM is pursuing his own agenda, which doesn’t have anything to do with either lalu or Nitish.
TIME OF MERGER NOT FIXED
When will the merger of Janata Parivar happenIJ Not even the parties concerned know the answer to this question. There is a plan to merge RJD, JDU, JDS and Samajwadi Party, to create Samajwadi Janata Dal. This was decided by leaders present at the meeting held at Mulayam Singh’s residence in Delhi. But the leaders are not able to decide the time and date for the grand merger. The process had been started before the Winter Session and then the leaders had decided that they would work united against the Government. But that didn’t happen, and now the Budget Session is approaching, but the merger hasn’t yet happened.
A few days ago, Nitish had come to Delhi and met Sharad Yadav, lalu and Mulayam, but even then no date could be decided. After that, Sharad went to Patna to meet lalu and Nitish, but the result was zero. Some say Mulayam is not giving positive signals, while others are of the view that lalu is delaying. He can defer it to March on the pretext of his daughter’s wedding. His daughter is getting married to Mulayam’s grandson Tej Pratap on February 26. JDU leaders have become restless for the merger, but RJD and SP leaders are deferring it.
BJP’S TARGET FOR STATES
For the last few months, leaders of BJP have been setting various targets. In the lok Sabha Elections, Modi had fixed a target of 272+ and achieved it. After that, the party started setting targets for every State. For Bihar, the mission is 185+ seats. Though the BJP could not achieve its target in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir, the enthusiasm of party workers and leaders has not gone down.
Now, one of the bigwigs of the party has set a target for 2019. Forest and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar says by 2019, 19 States will have BJP CMs. This is a point to worry for the Congress and other regional parties. In 1997-98, the Congress was in power in very few States. The party was ruling in only two big States, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala. But then big States like Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh were being ruled by regional parties. At present, there are seven CMs of the BJP, and in two States, CMs are from its alliance partners. However, some of the leaders think 19 BJP CMs is a tall order.
INFIGHTING GREATEST WORRY
As the elections in Delhi approach, parties are busy dealing with sabotage and infighting. Infighting is at its peak in the Congress and BJP, though AAP is untouched by this. Infighting and groupism increased in the Congress when it decided to fight Delhi elections under the leadership of Ajay Maken, and didn’t allow Arvinder Singh lovely to take the lead. Sources in the Congress say senior leaders didn’t want to keep two faces in Delhi. They felt that if Maken would fight as chairman of the campaign committee and lovely would fight as PCC chief, then the picture would not be clear. Maken was apprehensive that in that case the party would not work under a single command. It is said that lovely is being kept out of the fight as per Maken’s wish. But this has not sent a positive message to Sikh voters. last time, two MlAs out of total eight were from the Sikh community.
On the other hand, BJP leaders are said to be unhappy with the sudden entry of Kiran Bedi. It is being expected that now these leaders will concentrate only on their areas and not entire Delhi.
CWC ElECTIONS ON CARDSIJ
After the results of lok Sabha and Assembly Elections in four States, Rahul Gandhi had kept his experiments aside. That is why in Delhi there was no primary for ticket distribution. But it is being speculated that Rahul is back on that track and wants his formulae to be implemented to strengthen the organisation. Sources say he might hold elections for some posts of the organisation. Rahul might also hold elections to fill 12 posts of CWC, the apex policy-making body of the Congress.
According to the party Constitution, elections must be held to choose 12 members of CWC, and almost the same number of members should be nominated. But no such elections have been held during Sonia Gandhi’s regime, and all members have been nominated. During Sonia’s regime, even the number of special invited and permanent invited members increased. However, Rahul wants CWC members to be elected. Though some leaders say this can be challenging for his leadership, sources are of the view that there will always be apprehensions about Rahul’s leadership, and the elected leaders can also pose challenges for him.