PATNA: With four years of estrangement from the BJP now behind him and the saffron party being an ally in Bihar now, JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar has been compelled to leave his campaign for special category state status for the state, a project close to his heart for over a decade.
While Nitish desists from raising his long-standing, politically crucial demand, he may also be ceding ground for a decidedly ambitious BJP longing to carve a bigger role for itself in the state.
Between 2006 and 2013, Nitish had turned the demand for special category status into an emotional issue and built it into a socio-political movement. Arguing that the resource-starved Bihar would take 25 more years to catch up with India’s developed states without an economic distinction, Nitish and JD(U) had led a long, clamorous campaign. for it. While the campaign was primarily a JD(U) exercise, the BJP, which was its ruling ally between 2005 and 2013, extended only moral support.
Nitish’s readiness to dump his pet project was seen in JD(U)’s silence over BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh’s dismissal of the need for a special status for Bihar early this month. Two days later, Nitish’s close aide and Rajya Sabha member Ramchandra Prasad Singh said that JD(U) is willing to “compromise on its demand” for special status. Nitish cleared the air soon, saying he would not raise this demand during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Patna on October 14.
“BJP is not keen on Bihar getting special category status, at least now. So, there is no need to embarrass them and cause friction,” said a senior JD(U) leader close to Nitish. JD(U)’s compromise on this issue, he said, would ensure “greater cohesion in the ruling alliance”.
“Special status is an issue that may be considered after the 2020 assembly polls,” said a senior BJP leader, hinting that the status may come to Bihar when there is a BJP-led government. Nitish had started raising the issue soon after becoming Bihar Chief Minister in November 2005, and in April 2006, he persuaded the assembly to adopt a resolution asking the then UPA-I government to accord special status to Bihar.
A year-long signature collection JD(U) started in mid 2009 paid rich dividends to the JD(U)-BJP combine in 2009 Lok Sabha polls and 2010 assembly polls. Nitish held a two-month-long ‘Adhikar Yatra’ in 2012, two massive public rallies in 2012 and 2013 to pile pressure on the UPA-II government. The JD(U) campaign was hit by Modi’s promise of a `1.25 lakh crore “special package” to Bihar in August 2015, two months before the assembly polls, which the NDA lost. But the JD(U)-RJD-Congress grand alliance Nitish led as CM had kept the demand alive.
Helping Hand
Centre provides aid for a state’s development based on its disadvantageous features
Bihar lags behind in terms of development indices. Nitish says with a lack of resources, Bihar will take 25 years to catch up with India’s developed states
In August 2015, PM Narendra Modi promised a `1.25 lakh crore special package for Bihar
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand have special status. Andhra Pradesh and Odisha also want special category.