Former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is working on a two-pronged strategy to deal with the saffron surge across the nation. The man who walked out of the NDA over projections of Narendra Modi as the BJP’s PM candidate is determined to stop the Modi juggernaut in Bihar in the next year Assembly polls and shape up a major Opposition at the national level to take on the BJP.
In an exclusive interview to The Pioneer, Nitish outlines his vision for the political challenge ahead, talks about the need for a united fight against the BJP, and hints that he will flag BJP’s “flip-flop” on black money as a major poll plank. For the first time since the JD(U) suffered a massive rout in the lok Sabha polls at the hands of the BJP in Bihar, Nitish also admits that the disconnect between his governance and party workers led to the debacle.
“Every election is important, but few as significant as the next year Bihar Assembly polls. The outcome will have serious impact on the national politics and future of India as secular nation which respects its plurality,” said Kumar.
In this context, he justifies his decision to join hands with RJD chief lalu Prasad with whom he parted ways two decades ago and since then have been his bitter political foe. “We fought against lalu Prasad and the RJD on the issues of governance and politics. lalu Prasad is now out of power, and politically he is on the same side of the divide, so there is a need for reconciliation to take on the common enemy,” said Kumar, adding, “here we are not fighting against governance or politics, but those who impose serious threat to the secular fabric of the nation and threaten to widen the gulf between the rich and the poor.”
On the growing concerns in the media and certain quarters that the return of the RJD in any power sharing agreement in Bihar could be seen as the return of Jungle Raj II, Nitish said,” let me make one thing clear. We will not compromise on law and order situation in the State, whoever may be our partner in the Government.”
At the same time, Nitish pointed out that people evolve in politics and even lalu Prasad has changed much from the day he ruled Bihar.
“laluji got much kudos for his work as Railway Minister. Now he too understands the positive side of the politics of development. Those who are trying to raise the fear of JD(U)-RJD alliance in the minds of the people have no qualms in joining hands with criminal and communal elements, “said Kumar.
Nitish is hopeful that the Bihar experiment by which a united Opposition stopped the march of the BJP in the recent bypolls for 10 seats could be repeated at the national level.
“At a time when polls are being fought on slogans and emotive polarisation, we either stoop down to that level, or rise to take on the challenge together with other like-minded parties. The BJP has let loose its fringe outfits which pose serious threats to anyone who disagrees with their definition of India and Indianans. They are a pan-India force, and that’s why we have to raise a national platform to oppose them,” said Kumar.
Nitish hinted that in the weeks to come, there would be significant development in bringing together anti-BJP forces at one platform. “All I can say that we are moving in the right direction. It will be premature to get into details,” he said.
Admitting that the disconnect between the Government and the party led to the debacle in the lok Sabha polls, Nitish said, “As Chief Minister, I remained preoccupied with bringing the State back on the path of development and restoring the rule of law. In the process, I could not pay that much attention to party and our workers. I realise now that the workers were not motivated to take our Government’s achievements to the people. That’s why we lost the polls,” he said.
Now that he does not occupy the hot seat of the Chief Minister and prepares for the next year’s Assembly polls, Nitish is determined to address this issue and bring the Government and the party on the same page.“I’m starting a State-wide tour from November 12 during which I will hold meetings with districts and grassroots-level workers to get necessary feedback and convey to them the need to propagate the achievements of our Government. This would be an ongoing exercise,” he said.
On October 27, Nitish held a similar exertive with all his MlAs and MlCs in Patna and discussed the need to get out of the mood of despondency and look towards a better future for the party.
With the BJP determined to teach a lesson to Nitish for insulting Modi by cancelling a lunch for ‘NaMo’ in 2010, Nitish foresees politics playing out in its most perverse way in Bihar in the coming months. “I don’t rule out attempt to destabilise our Government or create fissure in the party. There are forces that will go to any extent to capture Bihar, because they fear that the State will give birth to a new political movement,” he said.