Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar turned 75 on Monday. He’s understandably growing old, as the character does with everybody, however he stays in command within the state, and politically indispensable too.
However for the primary time, the Opposition is making his age and well being a political difficulty with direct and relentless assaults on him. But, past rhetoric, there’s a methodology in it — everybody is aware of the price of Nitish Kumar to tilt the stability and the affect of his absence.
Regardless of his flip-flop within the final seven years from the Grand Alliance (GA) to the Nationwide Democratic Alliance (NDA), Kumar has remained pivotal to the Bihar politics and has been capable of play his playing cards deftly to be all the time one up.
JD-U leaders say there’s much more left in Nitish Kumar, and so does the BJP, however the best way there was a concerted transfer to provoke his non-political son Nishant Kumar, 49, into politics and get ready to take over the reins of the celebration factors to a line of pondering within the celebration “to see their future past Nitish”.
For the BJP, Bihar has remained the Achilles’ heel, as regardless of being a part of the federal government largely since 2005, it has not been capable of win in Bihar by itself to kind the federal government, and was stumped on the peak of Narendra Modi’s recognition in 2015 and its technique did not resurrect its fortune in 2020.
It has causes to take measured steps because of the more moderen expertise. The Lok Sabha election ends in Bihar final yr once more underlined the significance of Nitish Kumar within the state’s predominantly triangular politics and underlined his uncanny knack of bouncing again simply when folks begin writing him off.
Whether or not Nishant will be a part of mainstream politics or not and when is for him and Nitish Kumar to determine, however the sudden push for Nishant from the JD-U in addition to the Opposition is doing extra hurt than good within the run as much as election to Nitish Kumar, who is probably not at his greatest however nonetheless stays as essential to Bihar politics as ever.
The Opposition RJD has, nevertheless, began taking part in it as much as fan insecurity, with chief of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav describing Nishant as his brother, whereas Jan Suraj Occasion founder Prashant Kishor has been instantly attacking Nitish over the latter’s well being.
“Nishant ought to do it quick, else JD-U will likely be misplaced. He’s my brother and I’ll like him to hitch politics quick. In any other case BJP will devour JD-U. In truth, some folks within the BJP and the JD-U try to stop his entry,” he stated, however added that JD-U is a celebration fashioned by late Sharad Yadav in an obvious bid to minimize Nitish’s contribution.
Congress has additionally began supporting Nishant Idea. “Nishant’s entry is essential for the survival of the JD-U,” stated Congress spokesman Rajesh Rathor.
Political analysts say that Tejashwi could have a motive for backing Nishant, as it will deliver curtains on the controversy on ‘dynastic politics’ towards which Nitish Kumar all the time remained so vocal about and Prime Minister Narendra Modi additionally focused it with in each election rally.
Kishor has been sharper in his assault on Nitish, as he has been declaring that the “Bihar CM isn’t any fitter to carry the essential chair, as he’s bodily drained and mentally retired”.
“I enchantment to the folks to not let anybody from the JD-U win, as he has been diminished to a mere masks of the BJP now. He simply desires to be the CM – be it with the lantern (RJD) or the lotus (BJP) – and that ought to not occur now,” he informed media individuals whereas asserting his celebration’s mega rally at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on April 11.
There has additionally been rising assist for Nishant even from throughout the NDA, with the Lok Janshakti Occasion (Ramvilas) chief and union minister Chirag Paswan and HAM -S chief and union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi additionally welcoming the transfer.
Nishant, on his half, has been restrained at this stage about himself, although for the primary time he’s popping out to talk to media and search assist for his father for all the great work for an additional time period as CM.
Former professor and dean, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Pushpendra stated that there was a lurking worry and uncertainty not simply within the JD-U, but in addition within the Opposition of state politics “ past Notish Kumar”, because the Bihar CM has had an uncanny knack of taking part in the balancing recreation with out having overwhelming vote financial institution.
“JD-U is understandably conscious of the truth that minus Nitish it will be troublesome. There are three forms of management, as Max Weber put it. One among them is charismatic, which the likes of Nitish, Lalu Prasad, Jayalalitha, Mamta Bannerjee supplied, however the issue with such management is that it has no second in line. All regional events grapple with it,” he added.
Pushpendra stated that the most important worry with such events is the massive hole between the charismatic chief and the possible second, third or fourth in line. “The chief dominates so long as he’s in command and and after him there are too many claimants to set off internal battle or dissent. A method of stemming it’s to usher in a member of the family, which symbolically turns into the uniting power,” he added.
He stated that the Opposition getting euphoric about Nishant was additionally because of the worry of uncertainty, because it was conscious of the Nitish Kumar contribution in retaining Bihar largely untouched by the BJP wave regardless of forming the federal government with it. “As soon as Nitish shouldn’t be there, it will be troublesome for the RJD additionally in direct battle with the BJP,” he added.
