The State presidents of all three NDA constituents in Bihar— the BJP, the JD(U) and the Lok Janshakti Party — on Sunday announced that the grouping will hold a rally in Patna on March 3 to kick- start the poll process for the Lok Sabha election scheduled for later this year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to join Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan on the stage.
“While JDU) and LJP presidents — Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan — have confirmed their presence at the rally, we’re expecting confirmation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah,” State JD(U) president Basistha Narayan Singh said at a press meet in Patna.
State BJP president Nityanand Rai and LJP chief Pashupati Kumar Paras were also present at the interaction.
“It will be a rally of a proportion not seen in last 30 to 40 years,” said Mr. Paras while Mr. Rai said, “In the rally we’ll ask the Congress what they have done in 50 years of their regime in the country, and also present our government’s achievements of five years”.
However, political observers said that ahead of the Lok Sabha poll for which dates are likely to be announced in second week of the March, the NDA was trying to counter the Congress by organising a rally exactly after a month on the same ground in Patna. The Congress is scheduled to hold a Jan Aakansha Rally (People’s expectation Rally) on February 3 in Patna at which party president Rahul Gandhi will share the stage with other leaders of the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) including Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAM), Upendra Kushwaha (RLSP), Sharad Yadav and Mukesh Sahni. It is, however, not clear yet whether the Left leaders will join the rally.
Road show
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and senior State leader Akhilesh Singh led a huge roadshow of hundreds of youths on motorcycles in Patna to garner support for the rally. Independent MLA and criminal-turned-politician Anant Singh who is popularly known as Chhote Sarkar, too joined the road-show along with his hundreds of supporters and declared that he would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha poll from Munger constituency on a Congress ticket.
When asked about Mr. Anant Singh’s presence in the road-show, Congress leader Akhilesh Singh said, “He is a strong and popular leader…his presence will help the party to garner support for the rally.”
Both Mr. Akhilesh Singh and Mr. Anant Singh belong to the upper caste Bhumihar community, widely seen as a BJP vote bank. It is said Mr. Akhilesh Singh has been keen on inducting Mr. Anant Singh into the party to take on JD(U) leader Lallan Singh, the likely NDA candidate and close friend of Mr. Nitish Kumar from Munger parliamentary constituency.
However, State Congress president Madan Mohan Jha appeared uncomfortable with the idea of Mr. Anant Singh who faces as many as 16 criminal cases, being a candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha poll. “If someone propagates and believes in party president Rahul Gandhi’s principles what can we do?...who will join the party or not is being decided at central level”, said Mr Jha.
