Patna, (Samajweekly) With the 2024 Lok Sabha elections just a few months away, the Opposition INDIA bloc has yet to finalise its seat sharing formula and the situation in the NDA is the same in Bihar, especially for the smaller parties.
The BJP, which is the dominant partner in the NDA, has not opened its cards on seat sharing as yet and hence smaller parties like the Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party Ram Vilas (LJPR), Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular (HAMS) led by Jitan Ram Manjhi and Upendra Kushwaha led-Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) are not sure about their position in the alliance in Bihar.
There is a buzz in the political circles of the state that Nitish Kumar might join the NDA and if that happens, the importance of these small parties will be reduced and they will get one or two seats each.
Of late, the relations between Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad are not looking healthy, especially after Rajiv Ranjan Singh resigned from the post of the National President of the JD(U) and Nitish Kumar stepped into his shoes.
The speculation that Nitish Kumar may join the NDA is also getting stronger with the statements of Paswan and Manjhi.
When asked whether Nitish would join the NDA, Paswan said, “At present, we cannot say anything. If Nitish Kumar joins the NDA, then we will talk about it, not now.”
Manjhi, the former Chief Minister of Bihar said, “Nitish Kumar has a habit of changing the goal post, from the NDA to the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. He has done it several times before. If Nitish Kumar comes to the NDA, I have no objection to it. The BJP is the biggest party in the NDA and it would decide on it.
“Lalu Prasad has already given the title of ‘palturam (turncoat)’ to Nitish Kumar. He has shown his character once by changing the goal post, then where is the problem in shifting it for the second, third or fourth time for him?”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent comment in an interview to a newspaper that “if Nitish Kumar comes with an open heart, I will think on it” has further fuelled the rumour mills.
Nitish’s inclusion in the NDA may change things for the smaller parties and this is the reason why Paswan, Manjhi and Kushwaha are busy formulating a strategy.
They met at the Dahi-Chura Bhoj in Patna at the residence of Paswan and also in New Delhi on Thursday night.
Sources say that they want to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Amit Shah to finalise the seat sharing in NDA in Bihar.
Since Nitish is not pleased with Lalu Prasad, the latter along with his son Tejashwi Yadav went to the CM’s residence to meet him on Friday morning around 11.15 am. After the meeting, Tejashwi said, “Seat sharing is an internal matter between the JD(U) and RJD. When it happens, it will come into the public domain.”
“Seat sharing has not been finalised in the NDA too but the media is only talking about us,” he said.
When asked whether Nitish would join the NDA, Tejashwi said, “I am sorry to say that you are asking a question which has no relevance. Hence, I don’t want to comment on it again and again. I just want to tell you that the BJP’s defeat is certain.”
He added, “The JD(U) and RJD are united in Bihar. We are standing with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his party is standing with us. We are working under the leadership of Nitish Kumar in Bihar.”
When asked whether the BJP has given an offer to Nitish to join the NDA, Tejashwi said, “BJP leaders had said in the past that the doors of their party and alliance were shut for Nitish Kumar. Maybe the BJP will open the door for him after interacting with media channels.”
After the fourth meeting of the INDIA bloc in New Delhi on December 19, JD(U) leaders had asked for the seat sharing arrangement to be finalised as quickly as possible. They also demanded 17 seats in Bihar.
During that meeting, the INDIA leaders had decided to finalise the seat sharing formula within three weeks, but there has been no headway as yet.
If Nitish goes with the NDA in Bihar, they may fight on the formula of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when the BJP and JD(U) contested on 17 seats each and six seats were given to the Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP.
If that happens then only six seats would be available for distribution between Paswan, Manjhi, Kushwaha and Pashupati Kumar Paras.
For the BJP, Bihar is a state that will be crucial in deciding the fate of Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and if the JD(U) comes into the NDA fold, the BJP may not hesitate to sacrifice smaller parties or adjust them in one or two seats followed by the promise of Rajya Sabha seats.
