This projection has multi-dimensional implication. While it aims to send the loud message that he has not been pushed into oblivion as was conjectured only a month back, post Delhi riots and arrival of corona on the Indian scenario, he continues to be the ear and eyes of the supreme leader Narendra Modi.

No doubt the challenges are arduous and if at all he has to survive, he ought to accomplish the task. True to his style of functioning he has begun his innings by presuming the people of the country as a bunch of fools who utterly lack a correct political perception. What has been really interesting to achieve his mission he has embarked the voyage to use corona for ensuring the victory of his party in the elections to the Bihar and West Bengal assemblies.

While he has using the failures of Mamata government to fight corona in West Bengal, he harped colossal praise on Nitish in fighting the dreaded disease. He chose the wrong path was evident from the peoples’ reaction over social media post his address to the people of Bihar through virtual rally.

No time could have been better for Shah than this. Steering the party to victory in these two states would be of immense consequence and importance to him. While in Bengal his mission is to show Mamata Banerjee in bad light by decrying and denying her gains, in Bihar the task is to present a bright image of Nitish who miserably failed to come to the help of his Bihari brothers. His ill treatment to the Bihari migrants stuck in the cities has enraged the people. In some places they have resorted to agitation on the issue of compensation.

Though Shah’s focus has been on fight against corona and the steps taken to help the people by Modi government his arguments and clarifications have few takers. While in Bengal the people seek to know why he and the Modi government have failed to salvage the situation which is worst in India, the people of Bihar are quite irritated at the denial of Modi government to provide the trains to bring back them. The railway ministry charging fare is seen as matter of hatred and contempt towards them.

When Shah mentioned in his address that the Modi government had provided trains to bring the labourers back home, they were seen ridiculing for speaking lies. In fact the saffron camp has been on a propaganda overdrive regarding in Bengal and Bihar ever since it realised during the lockdown that the Assembly polls could be won or lost over the pandemic.

One distressing note was however was made by the senior BJP leader and Dy chief minister Sushil Modi. Hr revealed revealed that there was a strong possibility that elections in the state may see online voting in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Obviously is the part of the greater design to deny poor and rural people their rights to vote as they would find it a tough proposition to vote online.

At a time when the opposition political parties have been maintaining restrain from indulging in politics, the BJP leadership has been brazenly resorting to it. In fact Mamata Banerjee on Friday said she felt “really bad” over the BJP’s attempts to politicise tragedies of corona pandemic, migrant workers’ crisis and Cyclone Amphan with the objective of electoral gains. She said; “While on one hand, we are fighting to save the people from the durjog (disaster), the durbhog (suffering), the calamitous Covid-19 and everything else, a political party goes around saying daily: ‘First, throw them (Trinamool Congress) out of Bengal, vote for us.’ Is this the time for politics? I am not saying ‘throw Narendra Modi out of Delhi (the Centre)’. Because I think this is not the time. Politics will happen at the appropriate time. Why are you doing this now?”

But in Bihar the chief minister Nitish Kumar notwithstanding bitter public criticism has been euphoric of his performance. With people determined to show him the right place, Amit Shah has become more assertive about NDA’s role in the state.

The people at the call of the RJD clang thalis in protest. In some places as a sign of protest people demonstrated on the streets for some time. They even alleged that quarantine centres are better than hell. The initial response to Shah meeting has not been good. It gave the impression that the people were angry with BJP and Nitish.

Protesting against Shah’s rally, RJD, led by former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and party chief Tejashwi Yadav, observed “Garib Adhikaar Diwas” while the Congress took to posters to urge citizens to mark “Shraddhanjali Diwas“. The posters read ‘virtual se actual muddon ka encounter‘.

To deflect the peoples’ attention from the protest, Shah said "some people welcomed our today's virtual rally by clanging 'thalis'. I am glad they finally heard PM Modi's appeal to show gratitude towards those fighting COVID19". For him winning the assembly election has more importance than anything else was evident from his assertion that the NDA would form the government with 2/3rd majority under the leadership of Nitish Kumar.

However through his “Bihar Jansamvad Rally’ he managed to send a strong message to other constituent of the NDA that none else but Nitish Kumar would be the next Chief Minister.

Significantly he spoke of nationalism, but the emphasis was comparatively less. He said “There was a time when anybody used to enter our borders, behead our soldiers and Delhi’s darbar remained unaffected. Uri and Pulwama happened during our time. It was the Modi and BJP govt that did surgical strikes and airstrike. The whole world agrees that after US and Israel, if there is any other country that is able to protect its borders, it is India.”

Amit Shah coming back to the political arena has been his compulsion. With his adversaries inside the BJP asserting their presence and indispensability, it has become imperative for him to assert his image as the second most important leader of the current regime after staying in the background for months. (IPA Service)