The Congress has categorically told Lalu Prasad that if he does not accept a dominant role for Nitish Kumar in the proposed anti-Hindutva majahot in Bihar, it would start seat-sharing talks with the state chief minister’s Janata Dal-United and ignore the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
The Congress’s ultimatum has not just weakened Lalu Prasad’s bid to drive a hard bargain in a broader coalition against the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state, but has also left a panicked RJD chief looking for ways to make the grand old party change its decision.
“For last two days Lalu Prasad has been trying to reach out to Congress president Sonia Gandhi through various channels, but she has refused to respond,” said a senior Congress leader.
In the Lok Sabha elections last year, the RJD had a pre-poll alliance with the Congress while the JD-U entered the fray together with the Communist Party of India. In that election, Muslims, who account for nearly 16% of the state’s population, are thought to have cast their votes in favour of the RJD-Congress alliance because it this combination appeared to be presenting the main challenge to the BJP.
The Muslim vote
But if the Congress does enter an alliance with the JD-U for October's assembly elections, Muslims are likely to shift away from the RJD, breaking the M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) equation that has been a major force in state politics for last 25 years. The fallout would be disastrous for the RJD if it chooses to contest the assembly polls independent of the JD-U-Congress alliance. In a three-corner contest, the JD-U-Congress alliance would appear better placed to defeat the BJP than the RJD, which is watching helplessly as a part of its Yadav vote base switches loyalties to the saffron party.
The Congress’s ultimatum has put an immense pressure on Lalu Prasad. “Lalu Prasad would appear helping the BJP if he disrupts a broad secular alliance by walking out of it,” said the Congress leader. “He should, therefore, accept Nitish as the chief ministerial candidate and stop talking about an alliance with [former Bihar Chief Minister] Jitan Ram Manjhi who is clearly working at the behest of [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi,” he added.
On May 30, Bihar Congress president Ashok Choudhary had met Rahul Gandhi and suggested him that the party should align with the JD-U if it has to choose between the two regional parties of the state.
According to Congress officials, while party vice president Rahul Gandhi is not in favour of entering an alliance that has the RJD as its dominant member, Sonia Gandhi has still not given up her attempts to bring on one platform all parties that are not part of the National Democratic Alliance and form a grand anti-Hindutva alliance.
The Congress’s ultimatum has not just weakened Lalu Prasad’s bid to drive a hard bargain in a broader coalition against the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state, but has also left a panicked RJD chief looking for ways to make the grand old party change its decision.
“For last two days Lalu Prasad has been trying to reach out to Congress president Sonia Gandhi through various channels, but she has refused to respond,” said a senior Congress leader.
In the Lok Sabha elections last year, the RJD had a pre-poll alliance with the Congress while the JD-U entered the fray together with the Communist Party of India. In that election, Muslims, who account for nearly 16% of the state’s population, are thought to have cast their votes in favour of the RJD-Congress alliance because it this combination appeared to be presenting the main challenge to the BJP.
The Muslim vote
But if the Congress does enter an alliance with the JD-U for October's assembly elections, Muslims are likely to shift away from the RJD, breaking the M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) equation that has been a major force in state politics for last 25 years. The fallout would be disastrous for the RJD if it chooses to contest the assembly polls independent of the JD-U-Congress alliance. In a three-corner contest, the JD-U-Congress alliance would appear better placed to defeat the BJP than the RJD, which is watching helplessly as a part of its Yadav vote base switches loyalties to the saffron party.
The Congress’s ultimatum has put an immense pressure on Lalu Prasad. “Lalu Prasad would appear helping the BJP if he disrupts a broad secular alliance by walking out of it,” said the Congress leader. “He should, therefore, accept Nitish as the chief ministerial candidate and stop talking about an alliance with [former Bihar Chief Minister] Jitan Ram Manjhi who is clearly working at the behest of [Prime Minister] Narendra Modi,” he added.
On May 30, Bihar Congress president Ashok Choudhary had met Rahul Gandhi and suggested him that the party should align with the JD-U if it has to choose between the two regional parties of the state.
According to Congress officials, while party vice president Rahul Gandhi is not in favour of entering an alliance that has the RJD as its dominant member, Sonia Gandhi has still not given up her attempts to bring on one platform all parties that are not part of the National Democratic Alliance and form a grand anti-Hindutva alliance.
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