The BJP is anxiously looking at the development in Bihar where the Janata Dal(U) and the RJD are not able to finalise their alliance because of their failure to iron out their difference over chief ministerial candidate. The BJP is elated that RJD leader lalu Prasad’s ‘political ambitions’ has blocked the merger of his party with the JD(U) and kept its ‘options wide open’ in a fluid situation.
In case of a merger JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may have ‘greater control’ over RJD MlAs and also more elbow room to deal with lalu, a senior BJP leader said on Friday. The was apprehensive that a merger of anti-BJP parties would turn the poll-battle, later this year, evenly balanced in the State.
“If this merger was successful, it would have been a little harder for us,” he said, pointing out to “irreconcilable differences” between Prasad and Kumar. The JD(U) has already made it clear that there would be no compromise on projecting Kumar as chief ministerial candidate, something which is not palatable to Prasad, he added.
Besides, party sources maintain that “ lalu’s support base -Yadavs- dislikes Nitish’s base of Kurmies at the base level” thus rendering them “unnatural allies”. “loose understanding between JD(U) and RJD would be the advantage of the BJP”, sources said. They claimed that with Mandal and Ramjnmbhoomi losing vote swaying power, “aspirational politics” in Bihar may decide the voting pattern, Party leaders feel that on this count BJP’s performance at the Centre would title the balance since Kumar has lost “much of his sheen” after breaking away from the BJP.
However, such assessment may not hold water. Two back to back recent surveys have shows that Kumar is way ahead of his nearest rival Sushil Kumar Modi, who is undoubtedly the most popular BJP face in Bihar.