PATNA: Less than two years after the BJP had helped Mukesh Sahani, now a minister in Bihar, in finding a political toehold, the party seems to have disowned the aspiring Nishad leader whose foray in the high octane Uttar Pradesh assembly polls had left it sore.
Sahani, who is the founder of Vikassheel Insaaan Party (VIP), has been snubbed by his former patron which on Friday announced the candidature of a state unit general secretary from a seat where by-poll is due.
"Thanks to the alliance partner for the Holi gift", said Sahani in a late-night Facebook post, taking no names, though for the state's politically savvy people it was obvious that the reference was to the candidature of Baby Kumari from Bochahan which fell vacant upon the death of VIP's Musafir Paswan.
A former Bollywood set designer, who uses the nickname "Son of Mallah", Sahani had floated his party in November 2018 though it was not until the assembly elections two years later, which he fought with the BJP's patronage, that the party tasted electoral success.
The party won four seats while Sahani, who lost his seat, was inducted into the Nitish Kumar Cabinet at the instance of the BJP which also helped him get elected to the legislative council.
Sahani enjoyed his position of power and incidents like his detention by the Yogi Adityanath administration last year when he visited Varanasi to attend the birth anniversary function of a dacoit-turned-Nishad icon, which were viewed in political circles here as a "fixed match" with the BJP.
The view prevailed even when Sahani forayed in the high octane battle for UP, fielding VIP candidates in more than 50 seats, as his presence was expected to cut into votes of Nishads, some of whom might have voted for Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party.
However, Sahani's lack of political experience led him to launch a vitriolic campaign, peppered with frequent attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi, which were too hot to handle for the BJP.
Unsurprisingly, more than one BJP leader in Bihar went on record demanding the scalp of the minister who chose to test the waters by fielding his party candidates in seven legislative council seats and backing two Independents, all nine being where the BJP is in the fray.
However, he announced support to all other NDA nominees in the biennial elections for a total of 24 constituencies.
BJP sources here claim that it is curtains down on Sahani unless he seeks to mend his ways.
They underscore that Sahani's term as MLC ends in July and continuance as minister will require re-election which he cannot manage without the party's support.
They also point out that all three MLAs of the VIP were formerly with the BJP and any attempt by Sahani to pull out of the NDA was quite likely to leave him isolated in his party.
The VIP is, as of now, predictably flustered.
The party has tried to put up a brave face saying it will announce its candidate for Bochahan "in a day or two".
The party had made up its mind to field Musafir Paswan's son Amar, who, it is said, might gravitate towards the RJD, seeing the writing on the wall.
Notably, Sahani was an RJD ally until he broke up dramatically ahead of the assembly polls and was lapped up by the BJP which was busy finding an OBC face to forge a rainbow coalition of various castes.
Recently Sahani had also reached out to RJD de facto leader Tejashwi Yadav with an incredible "offer" that evoked smirks from across the political spectrum.
Sahani had said he could realign with Yadav if the latter agreed to a power-sharing formula wherein the RJD leader would be Chief Minister for half of the tenure, leaving the remaining period "for me or any other leader from extremely backward classes".
His EBC card is all that Sahani is left with and it was no coincidence that in his Facebook post he rued a "khalal" (disruption) in the struggle for the rights of the numerically large but, so far, politically subdued class.
The RJD, not in power but heady with its large numbers in the assembly, is all too happy fishing in the NDA-troubled waters.
"The BJP has shown its disdain for the Nishad community by its snub to Mukesh Sahani. But the RJD is there to champion the cause of all underprivileged classes", said RJD spokesman Mrityunjay Tiwari.