Rumblings in Bihar BJP over assembly bypoll loss ahead of Shah’s visit

The defeat in Bochahan assembly bypoll continues to rile the BJP, which has become the single largest party in the Bihar Assembly following the recent defection of all three MLAs of its former ally Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) of Mukesh Sahni.

The defeat in Bochahan assembly bypoll continues to rile the BJP, which has become the single largest party in the Bihar Assembly following the recent defection of all three MLAs of its former ally Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) of Mukesh Sahni.

Rajya Sabha memberSushil Kumar Modi (HT Photo)

Earlier this month, opposition RJD won the Bochahan seat, defeating BJP by a margin of nearly 36,000 votes. In 2020, the seat was won by VIP, which had fought the polls as part of NDA.

The VIP, which was also in the fray, finished third, but seems to have undercut its former ally BJP. 

BJP’s state unit president Dr Sanjay Jaiswal said the party had reviewed the bypoll results and the need for necessary course correction. “All aspects were discussed,” he said, refusing to share details.

Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi, who has for long served as deputy chief minister in the Nitish Kumar government, however, was more forthcoming, saying it was for the ruling NDA to review the huge debacle not just in Bochahan, but also in the Legislative Council elections for 24 seats from urban local bodies, in which ruling allies BJP and JD-U together ended up losing 10 of their seats, while the RJD was the biggest gainer.

“NDA will certainly review the losses to do the necessary corrections well in time. After all, Bochahan witnessed full-scale BJP campaigning, with ministers and legislators visiting every panchayat. The state government also worked for all sections in equal measure to win their confidence. Still, it was unprecedented to see the extremely backward sections and one section of the upper caste drifting away. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, NDA had swept the polls, winning 39 of the 40 seats. What went wrong and why, the NDA will certainly look into,” Modi said.

He was apparently referring to the erosion of BJP’s votes among Nishad, a backward community of boatmen, and Bhumihars, a traditional support base of the party.

Known for his close association with CM Kumar, Modi also hinted at lack of synergy due to confusion over CM’s chair as a possible reason behind the voters’ disenchantment. “It will also be reviewed why there was no 2019-like coordination between the NDA constituents both in the Council elections as well as bypoll, as there is still time to do necessary corrections before next Lok Sabha and state elections,” he said.

Modi’s comments have come a day ahead of senior BJP leader and union home minister Amit Shah’s visit to Bihar.

DM Diwakar, former director of AN the Sinha Institute of Social Studies, said the poor show by the NDA was a result of internal bickering in the NDA. “What Modi has boldly said is right. He is realistic and he understands Bihar’s triangle politics and the indispensability of Nitish Kumar, which does not give any single party complete sway over electorate,” he said.

Diwakar said the results might also give respite to Nitish Kumar from growing assertiveness of BJP, which had made him clearly uncomfortable.