While almost all the Opposition parties rallied behind the Mahagathbandhan, led by Nitish Kumar, there has been a stoic silence on part of the top Congress leadership which has neither publicly extended a congratulatory message to Nitish nor called a meeting in this regard in its headquarters in the national Capital.
However, sources in the party told The Pioneer, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had been sounded out about the winds of change during the first week of June when she was detected with Covid and was hospitalised.
Nitish had made the first call, which was apparently a courtesy phone call, enquiring over her health even as she was under pressure to appear before the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald money laundering case.
A query seeking AICC Media and Publicity Department chairman Pawan Khera’s response on Congress’ silence yielded no response.
Sonia is said to have confided to a close confidant her conversation with Nitish. “Bihar is looking for a change and we need to get in touch with Lalu Prasad (RJD patriarch) as soon as possible to bridge the gap between Nitish and Lalu,” sources quoted her.
Sources also confirmed that Nitish sought help from the Congress high command so that he does not succumb to the pressures of BJP. Thereafter, Sonia suggested Nitish to get in touch with Rahul Gandhi and the task was given to Tejashwi Yadav. Rahul and Tejashwi then took forward the conversation for the political change in Bihar initiated by Kumar.
“Following the foundation readied by top leaders and probable principal alliance partners, Congress deputed its Bihar incharge Bhakta Charan Das to craft the job. The main focus was to gather such a large number that it would be impossible for the BJP to effect a split and topple the new regime. Hence the figure of 164 legislators comprising even from the Left was worked upon. Kumar established five phone call contacts directly to Sonia including the recent two within 24 hours which is public now,” a top Congress leader privy to all the developments told The Pioneer.
Kumar, who had been a long-time associate of BJP and a strong partner in NDA since Atal Bihari Vajpaye years, was quick to assess the frequent developments which included successive visits of top BJP leaders Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, BJP’s State inchgare and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the turmoil within his party led by his once close confidant, bureaucrat-turned-politician RCP Singh. Political leaders of Bihar feel that Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) led by Chirag Paswan who has been foul mouthing Nitish too will have no option other than coming into the fold of Mahagathbandhan.