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Bihar polls: With sharp attack on Opposition, PM Modi’s message is loud and clear
PM’s message to the voters was loud and clear – Bihar is heading for a result that UP witnessed in 2017.
From family to fiefdom and ‘jungle raj’ to ‘double yuvraj’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sharp and pointed in his attack on the Opposition, equating Bihar’s political situation with that of Uttar Pradesh in 2017.
The message to the voters was loud and clear – Bihar is heading for a result that UP witnessed when the hype over ‘double yuvraj’ (his indication was towards the duo of Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi) was busted and the BJP swept in the biggest ever electoral victory.
PM Modi’s confidence that the NDA was set to sweep election yet again in Bihar is understandable as two crucial phases of polling remain and the Opposition, buoyed by youth’s response to RJD spearhead Tejaswhi Prasad Yadav’s 10-lakh job offer, and LJP chief Chirag Paswan’s relentless attack on Nitish Kumar, sniffs a chance.
The promise of jobs remains the biggest shaker in this election, though what impact it will ultimately have will be known only after the election results are out.
For Tejashwi, the election has already been a big opportunity to evolve into a leader and he seems to be enjoying the moment, trying to match every attack with a counter-attack and addressing a record number of rallies day after day, sticking to his blueprint of raising the economic issues despite questions being raised about their feasibility.
Pointing to PM’s reference to double-engine government in Bihar to propel its growth, Tejaswhi wasted no time in hitting back - “But the PM did not throw light on why the unemployment rate jumped to 46.6 percent in Bihar despite double engine, why there is migration from every second house in the state and why Bihar fares poorly in education and remains high in crime rate,” he added.
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LJP chief Chirag Paswan, too, found the opportunity just right to train his guns on chief minister Nitish Kumar, with a news clip about income tax raids on contractors involved with Bihar’s ‘nal-jal’ yojana, one of the ‘seven resolves’ of the chief minister and one which has been under attack for corruption.
“Thanks to the IT department on behalf of the people of Bihar for exposing the corruption in the jal-nal yojana and bringing it before the people. Seven resolves remains one of the biggest scams since independence,” he tweeted, as the PM launched a scathing attack on the RJD’s 15-year rule to remind the people about the “horror tales of abduction and crime”.
Chirag also had a dig at Nitish Kumar, saying the PM had to take the reins of election in his hand, as he had realized that nobody would vote for the CM. “The PM is putting a lot of effort as he knows it is all up to him,” said Chirag, who is also campaigning hard after fielding candidates against all the JD(U) candidates even while swearing in the name of PM Modi.
Chirag reiterated that defeating Nitish Kumar would be the victory of Bihar. Chirag, at his rally in Alauli in Khagaria, also played the emotional card, reminding people that it was the first time he was there without his father. A large number of people gathered to listen to him. Khagaria is the native district of late Ram Vilas Paswan.
Political analyst Prof NK Choudhary said that the pressure was clearly on Nitish Kumar for the first time from all sides and it is getting reflected. “The Opposition has won the perception battle and the PM, who would have anyway campaigned the way he often does, knows it and therefore he is shielding Nitish Kumar. Perception battle does not mean the Opposition can pull through, but it has certainly put enormous pressure on Nitish Kumar by raising some pertinent issues concerning his governance model and economy,” he added.
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Another political analyst DM Diwakar said that with two crucial phases remaining, pm PM Modi did what any leader would do – not to lower the guard even a wee bit. “With barely a week left for the election, the NDA, as well as the Grand Alliance, are pulling all the stops out to be in the driving seat or at least send the message across. What was once considered a one-sided battle has certainly generated a lot of interest due to the manoeuvrings of two young leaders and tested the veterans,” he added.
Analyst Professor Ajay Jha said that the situation in Bihar was different from UP and therefore PM’s confidence could be misplaced. “Nobody knows how far Tejashwi will go this time, but it is a fact that Nitish Kumar is at the receiving end from all sides. Batting vigorously for Nitish Kumar, against whom a fatigue factor has set in, may not serve the purpose for the BJP this time,” he added.
