Just as whispers grow louder about Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s son, Nishant, making his political debut from a “safe” seat, the BJP appears to be signalling it’s had enough of the “beta-beti politics” which it has often accused others of indulging in. “Parivarvaad nahi chalega is baar,” is the quiet war cry echoing in BJP corridors. According to party insiders, the high command has all but decided to deny tickets to kith and assorted kin of sitting or former MPs and MLAs — a move as symbolic as it is strategic. The message? No ticket by inheritance. And here’s the kicker: “Kisi neta ke bachche ka ticket is baar pakka nahi hai,” bemoaned a leader. Translation: there might be some very disappointed VIP offspring this poll season. The decision, while apparently aimed at sharpening the party’s anti-nepotism credentials, may also test the BJP’s ability to maintain its internal harmony — especially when allies like JD(U) might plan to launch Nishant Kumar into the fray.
Desi Comrades in China
CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby recently led a delegation to China at the invite of the International Department of the Communist Party of China. In tow were Politburo members Mohammed Salim, Jitendra Chaudhury, and R. Arun Kumar, plus Central Committee comrades K. Hemalata and C.S. Sujatha—carefully balanced on regional and ideological lines. The itinerary included a visit to Comrade Mao Zedong’s Mausoleum, which remains an essential rite of passage for all leftist teams (some might say, more a photo-op than a pilgrimage). Beijing had sent a goodwill message to CPI(M)’s recent Madurai Congress, a standard boilerplate about strong ties and bilateral bonhomie. Curiously, Prakash Karat, the veteran Politburo coordinator, didn’t utter the word “China” in his opening speech. He focused on US imperialism, Trump, and Modi government’s foreign policy. However, he remembered to tip his hat to Cuba, seemingly giving the world’s largest Communist Party the silent treatment. Deliberate? No one’s saying.
Red, aged, and still in command
Meanwhile, in Ajoy Bhawan, the CPI headquarters, D. Raja is back as General Secretary for a third term, despite being 76 years old. The Kerala unit made polite noises about wanting fresh leadership, but fell in line. In the grand old communist party scheme of inner democracy, consensus still trumps contest. Raja, with his calm baritone and unflappable demeanour, remains one of the more articulate communist voices in the national media. It also helps that the CPI’s numbers are so modest that no one’s too eager for the top job. In Bihar, the CPI’s strongest unit outside the South, seasoned leader Ram Naresh Pandey heads the state unit. He is comfortably past 75. A CPI member quipped, “We don’t do ‘youth wings’ like the others — we are the vintage wing.” Make of that what you will.
Keep your MLAs close, rebels closer
Call it the Great Bihar Rebellion Watch — and BJP, JD(U), and RJD bosses are glued to it. They are on high alert over a growing fear: MLA mutiny. “No party is immune from rebellion this time,” admitted a BJP strategist, uneasily. The anxiety is real. All the parties are under pressure to field “fresh faces with better winnability”; several sitting MLAs may soon find themselves out of the reckoning — and possibly in a rival’s camp the next morning, or worse, float as independents. “There’s ambition everywhere. Deny one ticket, and you might create a mini-party overnight,” joked a JDU insider, not entirely in jest. All parties are apparently holding frequent ‘tea-and-trust’ sessions with sitting MLAs to soften the blow — or at least pre-empt an angry press release. Expect a few high-decibel exits and teary-eyed Facebook posts when the candidate lists are out.
Grand Alliance: Conditional dosti
A Congress leader summed up the mood with Bihari wit: “No seat, no mit” — which loosely translates to “No friendship without fair share”. Bihar’s Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) is headed for some good old-fashioned seat-sharing drama. With Congress feeling a bit more confident post-Rahul Gandhi’s Vote Adhikar Yatra, the party is keen to negotiate from a perceived position of strength — or, at least, visible stamina. But RJD leaders, always poetic in rhetoric, aren’t entirely convinced. “Dosti me daga nahi, lekin seats aukat layak,” says one loyalist, meaning friendwhip is fine, but let’s talk numbers based on muscle. Some also assert crowds at the Yatra showed up for Tejashwi rather than Rahul. “Be honest,” said one RJD foot soldier, “More people came for Tejashwi’s rally than for Rahul’s yatra. Let’s not pretend otherwise.” Seat-share talks, expected to start soon, will likely echo what Lalu Prasad once reportedly told the Congress: “Pehle pehlwan lao, phir seats maango” — bring heavyweight candidates, then let’s talk numbers. Nobody’s ready to concede their strongholds without a fight.