The Congress may not be a major player in Bihar, but it is working to get the Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal on one platform, sources in the party have told The Hindu .
If a JD(U)-RJD-Congress combine contesting the elections in the eastern State later this year would benefit the two regional parties the most in Bihar, a possible BJP defeat there would help the Congress most — nationally.
BJP not invincibleIt would change the political narrative, Congress sources said, strengthening the message that the Delhi Assembly elections (in which the Aam Aadmi Party trounced the BJP 67-3) sent out — that the BJP was not invincible. In the process, a possible JD(U)-RJD-Congress victory would create more political space for the Congress in the country, they added. It would also make the party part of a winning team that could become the core of an anti-BJP alliance.
Indeed, though Bihar Congress chief Ashok Choudhury — reflecting the views of the party’s State unit — has expressed a preference for Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), the national leadership is very clear: it wants an alliance with both parties, knowing that only then will the math work in its favour. Congress Bihar in-charge C.P.Joshi has even said SP boss Mulayam Singh should bring his influence to bear on Mr. Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad and “ensure that an anti-BJP alliance comes through in Bihar. We want the Left parties, as well, to join it.”
Joint meetingIndeed, a move is already on for senior Congress leaders to talk to RJD leaders to persuade them to come on board, even as a senior JD(U) functionary has approached the Congress to ask party president Sonia Gandhi to intervene — to call Mr. Prasad and Mr. Kumar for a joint meeting.
It is against this backdrop and speculation over whether the JD(U) and the RJD will contest together or separately that JD(U) president Sharad Yadav asserted on Thursday that both parties would contest the Assembly polls in Bihar together in alliance with the Congress.
“Unity is bound to happen as it is the need of the hour. The nation needs it. All of us will contest the elections together. The Congress, JD(U), RJD, NCP, etc. will fight together,” he said.
This comes a day after Mr. Prasad’s point man Bhola Yadav met Mr. Kumar.
Indeed, even the RJD chief said in Patna on Wednesday that the reality differed from what was being propagated by “vested interests” and that he was “committed to fighting communal forces.” This came after reports appeared suggesting that the BJP was working on Mr. Prasad not to have an alliance.
Further confusion was created after it became known that Mr. Kumar had met Ms. Gandhi last month and the two leaders had broadly discussed the elections.
