Amid call of unification of the JVM and the JD (U), Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar projected Babulal Marandi as next leader of Jharkhand with his party’s tacit support. He, on the occasion, also stressed on his pet campaign i.e. liquor ban, which, his supporters feel, is going to be the x-factor for ‘Mission Red Fort’ in 2019.
Participating in a JVM convention on Monday, Kumar, a known critic of BJP and PM Narendra Modi, recalled his old association with Marandi, then a BJP leader who parted ways and formed a new party.
“I felt then that separation of Jharkhand from Bihar was the need of the hour considering its potential and resources. But why it could not progress as expectedIJ It is because of the leadership. I and Babulal Marandi have worked together in Atalji’s Government and I know his abilities. But what did they doIJ They removed the person with a vision. Had he been the CM of Jharkhand, its status would have been different which none can imagine,” said Kumar, touching upon the soft corner Marandi nurses.
He went on scratching JVM’s wounds further while mentioning about defection of six of its MlAs to the BJP, saying that in his mind they were still the JVM members.
“BJP has been showing its strength after lok Sabha polls but their votes came down in Assembly elections held just after that in Jharkhand. The JVM won eight seats despite the odds. If they were so strong why did they go on poaching six of JVM’s MlAsIJ Only weak people do this, not a strong one,” said the JD (U) national president while briefly mentioning about the need to work together by JVM and JD (U) cadres amid chant of ‘Nitish for PM in 2019’ in the conclave.
The leader talked much about liquor ban in Bihar and mentioned about his missive sent to his Jharkhand counterpart for not allowing the sale it the bordering areas. “I was pained when he did not even follow the set norms and just forwarded it to Excise Department. In fact, minimum target for bordering districts of Jharkhand has been upped for the sake of more revenue. The CM should understand that Jharkhand needed this liquor ban more than Bihar and for that handing over power to Babulal Marandi in 2019 is necessary. Our party is ready to walk together with him,” said Nitish and took a jibe on Raghubar Das’ comment about his remaining in inebriated condition of a different kind.
He also recalled promises made during general elections about black money, jobs, better MSP for farmers and said that people of Bihar had taught the party a befitting lesson. Nitish, accompanied by his Cabinet colleague Rajiv Ranjan Singh, on the occasion, tried to belittle BJP’s Assam win, saying that had the Congress joined hands with local outfits, the saffron party would not have won even 10 seats.
Speaking there, Marandi tried to claim momentum in his favour by mere presence of Nitish Kumar. “We are sure of your support in future. You are the person who is capable of becoming Prime Minister and you have proved that as Union Rail Minister. But people should understand that his gathering support against liquor is not for prime ministership but for larger social gains,” said the newly elected JVM president.
Marandi also termed situation in Jharkhand as ‘jungle raj’ and blamed the Government for protecting rioters and sharing levy collected by the Naxals. “They are just digging pits in the name of development. Food Security Act is not implemented and the Minister (Saryu Roy) is not in talking terms with the CM. I hope this gloom would be over soon and exile would end,” said Marandi.
Party’s dependency on Nitish Kumar’s party can be gauged with a statement of JVM general secretary Pradeep Yadav who hailed him for “uprooting RSS and BJP from Bihar forever” and expected him to repeat the same throughout the country.