Bihar Polls: The LJP has run candidates against the BJP in five of the 243 state seats.
Patna:
Chirag Paswan, whose rebellion against Nitish Kumar and his Janata Dal United is speculated with the backing of the BJP, stepped up his campaign today, seeking votes even from BJP voters who do not support the Chief Minister.
His tweet this morning read: “I ask you to vote for the LJP candidates to implement # Bihar1stBihari1st. In all other places vote for the BJP. The next government will be a government free of # Nitish.”
In total, his Lok Janshakti party is contesting 138 seats, 122 of them against ten Janata Dal United and its ally, Jitin Ram Manjhi’s HAM.
The LJP has run candidates against the BJP in five of the 243 seats in the state. However, this was done with the permission of the party which, according to Chirag Paswan, would be his partner in the formation of the government after the elections.
The BJP has been emphatic in stating that Nitish Kumar will remain the Chief Minister after the elections. He has also stressed that any party that does not accept his leadership will not be considered part of the NDA and will not be able to seek votes on behalf of Prime Minister Modi.
But his inaction against Chirag Paswan has led to speculation that the LJP is just the BJP’s “B-Team” and is meant to keep Nitish Kumar in check.
For his part, Chirag Paswan, who has been invective against Nitish Kumar since the lockdown began, has pledged allegiance to Prime Minister Modi with the dramatic metaphor of Hanuman. The image of Prime Minister Modi is etched on his heart and will be visible to anyone if he opens his chest, he said.
In this election, the 37-year-old has said that he wants to be Chief Minister of the BJP. He has pledged the votes of the Paswan community to the BJP in the other 105 seats the BJP is contesting.
The approach suits the BJP as it ensures better strike rates for its candidates and keeps Janata Dal United’s votes in check.
At the same time, the BJP has kept all its bases covered with its public support for Nitish Kumar.
Since the shutdown, Kumar has lost much goodwill over what was seen as his lack of support for Bihari migrant workers and students stranded in other states.
The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal has claimed that it has caused an exponential step in the rallies of its leader Tejashwi Yadav.
Since the shutdown, the LJP and a section of BJP leaders have been clamoring for a replacement for Nitish Kumar, saying that his reputation as “Sushashan babu” (Mr. Good Government) has suffered and that he would be a drag on this election. .
Bihar will vote on October 28, November 3 and 7 for a new government and the results will be announced on November 10.
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