In a surprising move, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dealt a blow to the Congress party by announcing that his Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Bengal independently. This comes shortly after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared a similar decision, signaling a shift in political alliances. Nitish Kumar, speaking at a rally organized by JD(U) on the centenary birth anniversary of socialist leader Karpoori Thakur, took the opportunity to question the previous UPA governments for not responding to his requests to confer Bharat Ratna on Thakur.
Nitish Kumar expressed gratitude towards the present Narendra Modi government for fulfilling his long-standing demand for conferring Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur. Despite not receiving a personal call from the PM, Nitish Kumar extended thanks through the media, acknowledging the government’s response to his plea. However, he subtly reminded PM Modi to recognize the contributions of all involved parties.
Addressing the issue of dynastic politics, Nitish Kumar praised PM Modi while indirectly criticizing those who promote family-based politics. He emphasized that Karpoori Thakur, a pioneer of quota politics, never engaged in promoting his own family in politics. Nitish Kumar, drawing inspiration from Thakur, highlighted his own commitment to not promoting family members within his political career. Notably, this could be interpreted as a veiled reference to his ally, Lalu Prasad, who has faced criticism for promoting dynastic politics.
It is interesting to note that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Nitish Kumar’s alliance partner, organized a separate event to celebrate Karpoori Thakur’s birth centenary. The event, addressed by RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, took place independently of JD(U)’s rally, highlighting the complexities within the political landscape of Bihar.
Political analysts are interpreting Nitish Kumar’s comments on dynastic politics as a subtle critique of his ally, Lalu Prasad, whose family currently holds multiple active political positions. With this development, Bihar’s political scenario appears to be witnessing shifts and tensions among alliance partners, setting the stage for an intriguing dynamic in the lead-up to the upcoming elections.
Comments