This refers to the editorial, “Modi scores a big six” (June 7).
The election result in Bihar has effectively shown where the frequent Modi-baiter and self-important Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stands, without crucial support from the Bharatiya Janata Party. Janata Dal(U) candidate PK Shahi lost the election by a huge margin, (over 1.37 lakh votes), despite Mr Kumar’s and several of his Ministers’/MlAs' spirited campaigning in the Maharajganj constituency.
There are strong rumours that the entire segment of upper castes (allegedly ‘encouraged' by the BJP) voted for Mr lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal. There may be some truth in this rumour as the upper caste has always supported the BJP in Bihar. Also, the defeat of the JD(U) candidate, in effect Mr Kumar's, would surely have gladdened the hearts of Modi-supporters, both in Bihar and Gujarat.
All is not lost for Mr Kumar, and it is up to him to decide whether to distance Mr Modi from Bihar and get wiped out in the next election, or embrace the Gujarat Chief Minister to energise the party cadre and win the crucial 2014 battle.