The results of the 2015 Bihar assembly elections make it implicit that a grand alliance of the left and secular forces could check the saffron onslaught. It is really sad that even after aware of this fact; the two leaders have been cold to the Left overtures. Lalu and Nitish have been averse to joining hands with the Left. Nitish’s Samata Party had joined hands with the CPI(ML) in 1995. Nevertheless the two leaders use the left for their progressive image makeover. As chief minister Lalu had justified militia attack on landless labourers and poor peasants demanding minimum wages and their right on the land. The two leaders nurse the feeling that the Left do not serve their electoral interests. For them while the caste politics has been key to their electoral success, the Left’s agenda of peasant struggle creates confusion in their ranks and supporters. Then again the caste of the Left leaders has been a major deterrent factor.

In 2015 assembly elections the Left had approached Nitish and Lalu to have a common alliance but this was not given much credence by the two leaders. They actually did not want to share (“waste”) seats. As a result the Left went to the polls on its own and to the surprise of election watchers the CPI(ML) won three seats that is too fighting against social justice and Hindutva wave. The two leaders also nurse the view that the Left wanted to ride their piggyback and revive its position in the state. It is irony that these leaders forget that they had used the left in their initial years. Moreover the alliance is not meant to be permanent feature. It is to prevent BJP and communal forces from coming to power.

Incidentally the CPI general secretary, Sudhakar Reddy recently emphasized that it was a 'historical necessity' for non-BJP parties to come together to prevent the NDA from coming back to power in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He even said it was possible to prop up a grand alliance of anti-BJP parties, as mooted by Nitish Kumar. However Reddy was skeptical,” I don't know what exactly Nitish Kumar's idea is but it can be a platform, a loose confederation but non-BJP or anti-BJP parties should come together...may be pre-election or post-election. They should join together to give a crushing defeat to BJP'.

The victory of the CPI(ML) in Bihar elections and appeal from Reddy should have been an eye opener for Nitish at least. But for obvious reasons he has been playing his own game. Nitish claims to be a “catalyst” to unite all non-BJP forces and make India free of the RSS (Sangh-mukt Bharat). But his actions and moves belie this. As a natural corollary to his political line he should have approached the Left parties. But he has not. In fact he has been waiting for the Left to approach him as this will put him in dictating position.

The CPI has appealed for a grand alliance of anti-BJP parties at the national level but with a rider that such an arrangement should be based on 'alternative, pro-poor economic policies. There will be clarity on economic policies. No doubt the primary aim is to ensure the defeat of the BJP in 2019 elections, but this also lays the foundation of a strong left and secular forum in the country. It should be an alternative (to the BJP) that can suggest alternative policies.

Sarvodaya Sharma, a senior state CPI(M) leader also holds similar views. He said any alliance must have a concrete economic lay out. We must reach out to the people with some assured policies and programmes. However he is sure that like the assembly elections the left parties would form a left front during the 2019 lok sabha elections. He feels that the people of Bihar are looking towards the left parties with high hopes and we must use the opportunity to consolidate our support base.

It is irony that the two leaders are so pre-occupied in their war of supremacy and one-upmanship that they are left with little time to think of a broader alliance of left, secular and democratic forces. Recently Nitish had observed that he was trying to play a 'catalyst' role to unite anti-BJP forces to defeat the saffron party and was not a claimant to any post. But the fact is it remains his primary focal point and concern. He has been going around the states garnering support for his candidacy. His campaign against liquor in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are part of this tactics. No doubt Nitish ought to know that the ground level politics of one state differs from another state. Prohibition has caught the imagination of the women in Bihar, but it may not have takers in other states.

During his first ten years of rule, Nitish had Lalu at his target. People compared his rule with the jungle raj of Lalu. Obviously even smallest gains appeared to be of magnum size. But now during the current phase people have been comparing Nitish with the Nitish’s ten year rule. With Lalu as the ally, Nitish can no more train his gun on him. Since BJP was his ally during the last ten years, he is unable to put the blame on the BJP. Nitish is now accused of non-performance. Nothing is moving. On his part Lalu is exploiting the situation to his advantage.

The fact is law and order situation in Bihar has gone from bad to worse since the Mahagathbandan won. Not a single day passes when incidents of rape, murder, extortion, kidnapping do not take place. It is proving to be a tough proposition for Nitish to present an alternate model. After the formation of the GA government, while the nerves have calmed down, the war of supremacy and attrition between the two leaders has only intensified. Not a single day passes when Lalu does not embarrass him and imposes his will on the government. The latest has been Lalu’s suggestion to the government to prepare an exhaustive report on the damages caused due to the floods for submitting to the Union government. Not less than 200 persons lost lives in floods

Lalu had supported Nitish as the chief ministerial candidate of the “secular alliance” for the 2015 Bihar Assembly only after intervention from 10 Janpath. Lalu commented that he had drunk “poison” to kill the “cobra” of communalism. Barely a fortnight back a press conference of the Grand alliance turned out to be an exercise of projecting their respective prime ministerial candidates. RJD leaders rebuffed the JD(U) leaders for projecting Nitish. Bihar Congress chief Ashok Choudhary came out the name of Rahul Gandhi . Choudhary quipped 'JDU will say the name of Nitish Kumar, RJD will say Lalu ji. I am a Congressman. I will say Rahul Gandhi.'

In the existing scenario the left parties cannot completely trust Nitish and Lalu for launching a broader Left and democratic and secular forum. They will have to take their own initiative. Though the Left leaders are hopeful of good senses prevailing on the two leaders, in case it does not happen they would go to the polls on their own with the sole aim of broad basing the left forces.(IPA Service)