Bihar bypolls: JD-U win redeems Nitish

In the Assembly, the NDA has 125 seats (BJP-74, JD-U-43, HAM-S-4 and VIP-4) and support of an independent candidate, which will increase to 128 with the addition of two more seats to the JD-U kitty, while the Opposition tally stands at 110 (RJD-75, CPI-ML-12, CPI-2, CPM-2, Congress-19). AIMIM has five seats.

The bypoll for the two assembly seats were never expected to change the complexion of the government in Bihar. And yet, they turned into high-stakes battles for prestige between the two regional powers – chief minister Nitish Kumar’s JD-U and Lalu Prasad’s RJD.

JD(U) supporters celebrate after party's victory in Bihar bypolls, in Patna on Tuesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

JD-U comfortably retained Kusheshwar Asthan and humbled a spirited RJD in Tarapur, though with a slender margin.

The only consolation for RJD was that despite loss, it showed its might as the only opposition in Bihar, while its estranged ally Congress bit the dust.

For JD-U, the results have also come as a validation of Nitish Kumar. Party’s general secretary and minister Sanjay Jha, who camped in Kusheshwar Asthan for nearly a month, said after the results, “ We doubled our winning margin in Kusheshwar Asthan from 2020, which speaks a lot about the trust people have reposed in Nitish Kumar and his inclusive development politics, which has made women a decisive factor in elections.”

In Tarapur, the contest turned out to be stiffer and JD-U had sensed it. Just before the polling, it had roped in veteran leader Shakuni Choudhary’s elder son Rohit Choudhary in the party. Rohit’s younger brother Samrat Choudhary is an MLC from BJP quota and minister in the Nitish cabinet. All the senior JD-U leaders campaigned in Tarapur.

The position in the Assembly is such that the NDA government did not have much to worry, unless its two allies — HAM-S of former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and VIP of Mukesh Sahni — decide to play truant, which seems more unlikely now. Both have four seats each but it would also require AIMIM’s five seats to give any realistic chance to the RJD. The equations remain unchanged even after bypoll and require too many ifs and buts to alter it.

In the Assembly, the NDA has 125 seats (BJP-74, JD-U-43, HAM-S-4 and VIP-4) and support of an independent candidate, which will increase to 128 with the addition of two more seats to the JD-U kitty, while the Opposition tally stands at 110 (RJD-75, CPI-ML-12, CPI-2, CPM-2, Congress-19). AIMIM has five seats.

The position of the House means that even smaller parties would not like to throw tantrums, BJP and JD-U remains just four short of the majority mark and there could be more inductions from disgruntled lot in opposition ranks. For the Congress, it is a rude shock, as it has proved that it would require to put in a lot of hard work for organsiational strengthening at the grassroots and mere enthusiastic outbursts would not serve.

“Politics never stops, but Nitish Kumar has salvaged his position after the poor show last year. Now, his numbers may increase further with more inductions, as power has the tendency to attract,” said social analyst NK Choudhary.