Call it the Mallikarjun Kharge effect or the fallout of a reported telephonic conversation with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi or a tactful ploy to foil any future bids by other Opposition factions ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Janata Dal (United) has marked a U-turn of sorts, approaching the general elections with a drastic shift in strategy.
The party, which is in power in Bihar in an alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal, has dropped the idea of projecting Nitish Kumar as its PM face and will go ahead with a push for collective leadership. The shift in strategy came after Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal’s joint proposal to name the Congress president as the PM face of the INDIA bloc left the party surprised and taken aback, reports The Indian Express.
Nitish has publically maintained that he harbours no national ambitions, although his party has kept propping up his name every now and then. Lalu Prasad Yadav, the RJD supremo, is also learnt to be in favour of a national role for Nitish. However, the JD(U)’s revised push for collective leadership is guided by its intent to foil any attempt similar to the one mounted by Mamata and Kejriwal in the future.
The proposal of Kharge’s name was seen as a setback for Nitish Kumar, who has been the founding member of the INDIA bloc and played a critical role in bringing together this umbrella alliance of regional and national parties. With reports of Nitish being miffed over his gradual sidelining, the reluctance of the united Opposition in naming an alliance convener proved to be the last nail for any hope the Bihar CM may have had of assuming a leadership role in the alliance.
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“Congress obviously wants to retain its supremacy in states where it is strong but it has to now show flexibility in ticket distribution in UP, Punjab, Delhi and some other states,” a JD(U) leader told IE.
The JD(U)’s change of heart also comes amid reports of an escalating rift between alliance partners JD(U) and the RJD. Tejashwi Yadav, RJD leader and Deputy CM, has skipped several events where he was expected to make an appearance alongside the CM. The summonses to Lalu and Tejashwi by the Enforcement of Directorate over the land-for-jobs scam have also added to the growing distance between the two old friends-turned-foes-turned-friends.
At the heart of the matter, however, is Nitish’s own uncertainty. While reports of his growing proximity with the BJP keep resurfacing every now and then, Nitish himself stares at an uncertain future over his continuation as CM. He has already announced over a year ago that the Bihar Assembly elections in 2025 will be fought under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav, virtually anointing him as his successor ahead of the polls in Bihar.
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The RJD too leaves little opportunity to remind the CM of his promise. Just a month ago, posters sprang up across Patna declaring Tejashwi as the future CM of Bihar. “Congratulations and best wishes to future Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on his birthday,” it read. It is believed that it is over this “deal” that Nitish had with the RJD that Upendra Kushwaha parted ways with the JD(U).
Meanwhile, taking one challenge at a time, the INDIA bloc is believed to get down to the nitty-gritty of seat-sharing over the next month. There are concerns over the Congress’ demands in states like Punjab, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala etc. The leadership question, however, continues to simmer and is likely to dominate discussions within the INDIA bloc now that the dice have already been rolled.
