As the Election Commission on Friday announced that the Bihar election will end by November 29, the political heat in the State simmered, with new NDA ally Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) issuing a warning to alliance partner Lok Janshakti Party, which is going to hold its State parliamentary board meeting on September 7.
Also read: Bihar elections | In or out of NDA: LJP to take a call on September 7
Ruling party JD(U) president and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar too is scheduled to address a virtual rally on the same day, while the Opposition Congress is all set to kick off its Bihar Kranti Mahasammelan from that day.
Amid reports that the LJP was mulling to field party candidates against the JD(U) in the upcoming Assembly poll, the newly inducted NDA ally HAM(S) on Friday slammed the move and said, “If that happens, we too will field our candidates against LJP”. “It doesn’t matter who is happy or unhappy (over HAM-S’s return to NDA block)…we’ve come here to strengthen hands of Nitish Kumar and not for tickets to contest elections…we’ll be forced to respond if Chirag Paswan continues to issue threats like he will put up candidates against JD(U) nominees. If that happens, we too will field our candidates against LJP”, Danish Rizwan, HAM(S) leader and party spokesperson, said in a video post to media persons.
Also read: In poll-bound Bihar, parties vie for more seats, explore new formations
Earlier, there was a report in the media that the LJP was mulling to put up party candidates against the JD(U) for a “friendly contest” in the poll. Both NDA alliance partners in Bihar, the LJP and the JD(U), of late, have been attacking each other on several issues, even though, the BJP president J.P. Nadda recently had asserted that the NDA would contest the forthcoming poll in Bihar united.
Political sources, however, said that ever since Mr Kumar started giving the green signal to HAM(S)’s return to the NDA fold “to counter LJP’s Dalit votebank”, LJP president Chirag Paswan took a tough posture against Mr Kumar and his government. “In a changed political scenario, the LJP in the NDA is close to the BJP but has toughened its stand against the JD(U), and with the HAM(S) returning to the NDA (on September 2) fold, the JD(U) now has got a counter to LJP’s Dalit vote bank”, explained a senior state JD(U) leader, while adding, “Yes, it’s true, relation between both the parties LJP and JD(U) have soured now”.
Meanwhile, the LJP on Friday came out with a full-page advertisement in various newspapers flagging its tagline for poll “Bihar 1st, Bihari 1st”. “Woh lad rahe hain hum per raj karne ke liye, aur hum lad rahe hain Bihar per naaj karne ke liye…dharm na jaat, karein sabki baat (they’re contesting to rule over us, while we’re contesting to be proud in Bihar…no caste, no creed, we talk of everyone)”, said the LJP in its advertisement, which is said to be an apparent dig at ruling party and alliance partner JD(U). the LJP has also called the party’s parliamentary board meeting on September 7 to discuss the issue of “friendly contest” against the JD(U) in the poll.
On the other hand, the JD(U) too has geared up to plunge into the poll battle head-on as Mr Kumar is scheduled to address the first virtual rally “Nischay Samvad” through the party’s newly launched multi-purpose digital platform jdulive.com on September 7, to sound the poll bugle. Party leaders claimed over 30 lakh people would be digitally connected with Mr Kumar on that day.
The Congress too is all set to kick off its “Bihar Kranti Mahasammelan” from September 7 to digitally connect with party workers and supporters. “JD-U will be holding its virtual rally on only one day but we’ll continue our virtual rally in all 38 districts, after which our party leader Rahul Gandhi too will address the people of the State”, said State party president Madan Mohan Jha, while adding, “Seat distribution in mahagathbandhan will be done between September 15 to 20”.
However, when asked about Mr Manjhi joining the NDA block, Mr Jha said, “ Manjhi gaye to, vaam dal aaye (when Manjhi gone, Left parties have come with us)”. But, senior State BJP leader and Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi took a dig, saying, “Now with Manjhi leaving the grand alliance, Opposition RJD-Congress has become a political corruption forum…to say it is mahagathbandhan will be a deception”.
