PATNA: In a subtle overture towards its ally-turned-rival and Bihar’s ruling JD(U), the state’s Opposition Congress on Tuesday asked the party led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to supports its proposed campaign for special category state status to Bihar.
Congress, which is an ally of Bihar’s main Opposition party RJD, also hinted that it is not averse to accept Nitish Kumar in the anti-BJP grand alliance if he snaps ties with BJP due to the “sharp rise in communalism” in Bihar.
Just days after JD(U), which rules Bihar with BJP and two other NDA partners, revived its old demand for special category status for the state, statements by two senior Congress leaders were seen as the national party’s alacrity to form a sturdy anti-BJP platform with Nitish Kumar in it. JD(U) leaders, however, did not appear impressed.
“JD(U) and BJP are in power in Bihar, and there is a BJP-led government at the Centre. Still Bihar’s rights are being ignored. We will begin a campaign for special state status to Bihar. JD(U) is welcome if it supports this campaign in Bihar’s interests,” said Bihar Congress in-charge Shakti Sinh Gohil.
Ironically, Nitish Kumar had started the campaign for special state status to Bihar when the Congress-led UPA was in power at the Centre. Between 2006 and 2013, Kumar had turned this demand into an emotive issue and built it into a socio-political movement across the state. BJP, which was then JD(U)’s ruling ally, had extended only moral support to Kumar’s campaign.
With JD(U)’s latest call for special state status being read as Kumar’s ploy to put pressure on BJP in view of the upcoming elections, analysts said Congress is preparing the ground to get JD(U) back into the grand alliance. JD(U), RJD and Congress had formed this alliance before the October 2015 Assembly polls and won handsomely. After ruling together for 20 months, JD(U) stormed out of this alliance and formed a government with BJP in July 2017.
“JD(U) allied with BJP claiming that Bihar’s development would become more rapid, but what has happened so far is a sharp rise in communalism in the state. Nitish Kumar is known for his secular credentials, which is why he was earlier in our grand alliance,” said Bihar Congress acting president Kaukab Quadri.
On the willingness of Congress to accept Kumar and JD(U) in the grand alliance again, Quadri said: “He (Kumar) must first snap ties with BJP. We will then consider it. All of us must come together on a single platform to battle the rise in communalism”.
“We (JD-U) have been at the forefront of the campaign for special state status for Bihar. Congress cannot deny its role in refusing Bihar its rights. It will be unfortunate if the Congress leaders have politics in their minds now,” said JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan.