Ever since the CBI designated court had pronounced its verdict convicting RJD supremo lalu Prasad and sending him to jail in connection with a fodder scam case, the Bihar Chief Minister and other party leaders have maintained a studied silence over the issue leaving others to read between the lines.
Political observers of the State, however, explained that the reasons Nitish Kumar and his party not willing to make any comment on this that they might be eyeing the 12 per cent Yadav vote of lalu’s flock. “With the lok Sabha poll knocking at the door they may not want to antagonise the significant Yadav caste voteshare of RJD”, said political commentator Prof N K Chaudhury.
Yadav and Muslims together forming 29% percent of vote bank through which RJD chief lalu Prasad has been taking his electoral flight for 15-long years is a major chunk in Bihar voteshare. With Nitish Kumar coming to power and introducing many welfare measures for minority community, a section of them, mainly backward Pasmanda Muslims, turned towards him.
“But, still a section of the minority community cast their vote in favour of lalu Prasad. In fact Muslim do tactical voting and when they can use their franchise to the party blocking the way of BJP”, explained Prof Chaudhury.
However, the other political pundits said that, though, Muslims vote might have eroded a bit from lalu’s flock but Yadavs have remained with him solidly. “Yadavs have been quite effective and aggressive voters and for them lalu Prasad still is the leader. And, the fear is that they would vote more aggressively this time after their leader’s incarceration”, said one senior journalist keeping track of politics of Bihar for a long time.
While talking to The Pioneer, RJD vice-president and party MP from Vaishali Raghuvansh Prasad Singh on Thursday said that sympathy and emotion has always been attracting aggressive voting from the affected community. “Yes, it will benefit us and just wait and see how our vote bank will cast their franchise against Nitish Kumar in the upcoming lok Sabha poll. Emotion and sympathy do play their role in polls”, said Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.
Meanwhile, the State BJP leader Giriraj Singh had said that Nitish Kumar has kept mum over lalu’s jail as he himself is quite apprehensive.” Now Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar too will go to jail in the same fodder scam and that is why he keeping mum and ready to sit in the lap of Congress party”, said Giriraj Singh.
“Otherwise, his mysterious silence baffles everyone. He is hoping that Congress party will get relief for him through CBI inn the fodder scam case in which he was named by an accused”, he added further.
Another leader and friend-turned-foe of Nitish Kumar, Upendra Kushwaha too has expressed similar sentiment over the court verdict. “We should honour the court verdict and what lalu Prasad has got for what he has done. But Nitish Kumar is also guilty in the case and he will also have to face the same fate and go to jail”, said the Rashtriya lok Samata Party leader Upendra Kushwaha.
Significantly, the reports suggested that RJD’s core vote bank remained intact as the voters of Yadav stronghold Madhepura, Sharasha and adjoining constituencies are made to believe that their leader lalu Prasad has become victim of political conspiracies.
“Just wait and see how we’ll vote for lalu Prasad and against Nitish Kumar. The result will be self explanatory”, said Dharmesh Yadav of Triveniganj block in Madhepura.
State BJP leader Giriraj Singh too had earlier said that those who were thinking that lalu Prasad’s voteshare would shift to any other party are far away from the ground realities. “They will not shift anywhere but remained with lalu Prasad..so those who’re keeping mum over the issue thinking to get the yadav vote share are living in fool’s paradise”, commented Giriraj Singh.
But, the JD-U leaders are refusing to buy any such political speculation or assumptions. “Its foolish to think that our leader Nitish Kumar is not making any comment on lalu’s incarceration as he was eyeing his yadav votebank. “We donot play such politics…we’ve our voters strength enough to pull us through in the poll”, said a state JD-U leader.
Earlier, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had made a cryptic comment over lalu’s court conviction. “On such legal process I donot make any comment”, he said and walked away refusing to elaborate any further.
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