At the March 3 rally the entire INDIA leadership will be present to send the message and inspire the people across the country that this is the final battle for preserving and protecting the democratic character of the country and empower the poor, victims of the upper caste and feudal discrimination and oppression.

Obviously for the INDIA bloc leaders of Bihar, it is their prime task to put their own house in order and strengthen the support base at the ground level. Recently in his rustic style Lalu had observed; “Tejashwi Yadav will uproot Nitish Kumar and I will perform Visarjan.” For this idea to happen it is imperative that the constituents should formalise the progression of seat sharing.

If the INDIA bloc sources are to be relied, they could have made it public long back, but they have been simply waiting for the political situation., which was in turbulence during last one month to stabilise. Even the vacillation of Nitish Kumar in expanding his cabinet has made them to adopt the stance of wait and watch. During his twenty years of stay in power that too as the chief minister Nitish did not have to wait for a month for expanding his cabinet. He would usually accomplish his task within three or four days of his swearing in.

This is for the first time Nitish has been facing this ordeal. Already 32 days have expired but he has not been allowed by Modi and Amit Shah to induct ministers of his like. He is in a limbo. This situation has turned the legislators, particular of JD(U) restive and jittery. With the state ready to go to the Lok Sabha polls in April, they are finding it hard to put their electoral machinery in process. However, NDA sources maintain that BJP would not concede 16 seats to JD(U) which it had won in 2019. The BJP leaders claim that it was the charisma and image of Modi that had helped the NDA win 39 seats out of total 40 seats in Bihar in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Nitish was not at all a factor at that time.

The impasse in the NDA is likely to be cleared by March 2. Obviously the INDIA leaders are waiting to see which JD(U) leader is denied the seat. On their sides too most of the senior JD(U) leaders have sent request to RJD supremo to wait for a couple of days before making the final decision and announcement of the names of INDIA bloc.

Though the state BJP leadership is completely in disarray and panic, their Delhi bosses have resorting to the gimmicks of creating confusion among the INDIA bloc. It was part of this scheming that BJP made led three MLAs quit the Mahagathbandhan. Their desertion is not going to have any numerical bearing either on Mahagathbandhan or NDA. Even then it was done.

Murari Prasad Gautam, a Congress legislator and former Bihar minister, represents the Chenari constituency in the Vidhan Sabha. Siddharth Saurav is the representative for the Vikram constituency, and Sangeeta Devi from the RJD comes from the Mohaniya Vidhan Sabha seat. As usual the pro Modi media was projecting it as a major setback to INDIA. The fact is they are non-entities. They have not yet formally joined either the BJP or JDU.

BJP is using them as instruments in its psychological war against INDIA. The BJP had also tried to create a public perception that that Nitish’s switch to NDA had caused an irreparable blow to the INDIA. But it did not work. The massive response Tejashwi’s Jana Vishwas Yatra has been receiving has exposed their design. JVY has been focusing on employment, livelihood, rights of the weaker sections and youth, poverty, agriculture, health, deprivation and other issues concerning the people.

One development has been quite noticeable; the BJP has engaged the media to fight the electoral war against INDIA. Purely with the intent to create confusion among the people and prove that Tejashvi’s JVY was a futile exercise, an opinion poll by CNX has been released claiming that NDA will win 35 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. Even in the wake of nationalism wave before 2019 polls, the Congress had managed to win one seat. In 2020 assembly election the JD(U)-BJP had virtually lost the battle had not Nitish used the state machinery. The state government ensured the defeat of a dozen of RJD candidates by margins less than 50-60 votes.

BJP has never been a force in the state and even today cannot vouch to win any election on its own. The frequent somersaults by Nitish have eroded his credibility in the eyes of his own people. He is best known as “Paltu Chacha”. By resorting to all such revolting games Modi and Shah hope to snatch all the Lok Sabha seats from the state. This is nothing more than nursing fantasy and living in fool’s paradise.

The fact is INDIA bloc has progressed in seat sharing talks. The general secretary of the CPI(ML) Dipankar Bhattacharya said that with JD(U) no more in the bloc, the constituents have to share the 16 seats presently held by JD(U). In the changed situation the CPI(ML) may like to contest 8 or 9 seats. But it can finally settle for 5 or 6 seats. The CPI is determined to get two seats including Begusarai which is crucial for them. The Congress wants this seat. It will be sorted out at the intervention of the RJD leadership.

The mood of the Congress leaders is quite upbeat with the immense response Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra received in Bihar.

The change in the perception and mood of the Muslims has also enthused them. If the party sources are to be relied the Congress would be contesting at least 10 seats, though the Congress wants more. The Congress leaders also point out that a class polarisation has started taking place at the ground level. Though some RJD leaders claim that they would contest no less than 30 seats, the top leadership of RJD, especially Lalu Yadav is too willing to honour and respect the feelings of other constituents. RJD is taking a pragmatic position. That should the INDIA bloc in arriving at an agreement before the March 3 meeting.

INDIA bloc leaders are giving big stress on this Gandhi Maidan rally as from this venue, Jaya Prakash Narayan gave the call for throwing out Indira Gandhi from power in 1970’s. In the same venue, both Rahul and Lalu will give a call for the removal of the Narendra Modi government for the third time. (IPA Service)