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Kanhaiya worries Seemanchal Grand Alliance leaders
Kanhaiya Kumar visited Kishanganj on March 4 and several GA leaders were on the stage at an event organised by Anjuman Islamia where he took jibes at the prime minister, some reportedly in objectionable language.
Congress and RJD leaders in the Seemanchal are worried that shrill anti-Modi speeches and discordant statements about armed forces and air strikes by students leaders like Kanhaiya Kumar, former president of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union, and his university mate Umar Khalid could damage the prospects of the Grand Alliance’s (GA) poll prospects in the Muslim-dominated region where the BJP could win none of the four Lok Sabha seats in 2014.
These leaders on the ground have warned their party bosses to refrain from sharing dais with the two student leaders in the Seemanchal belt because it could lead to a sharp polarization of Hindu votes, which will eventually benefit the BJP.
Kanhaiya Kumar visited Kishanganj on March 4 and several GA leaders were on the stage at an event organised by Anjuman Islamia where he took jibes at the prime minister, some reportedly in objectionable language.
In fact, BJP’s vice president (minority cell) Titu Badwal even lodged a case with the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Kishanganj against Kanhaiya Kumar for his controversial speech.
Earlier, on January 4 this year, Bihar’s leader of opposition and senior RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had shared dais with Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid at a family programme of RJD MP from Araria, Sarfaraz Alam, organised on the birth anniversary of former Araria MP Md Taslimuddin. Here too, the trio attacked the prime minister and received loud applauses from the gathering.
“Such speeches, especially in the aftermath of surgical strikes against terrorists in Pakistan, may snatch our victories from us,” said a local Congress leader in Kishanganj, requesting not to be identified.
“Whether it’s Kanhaiya, Umar Khalid or Owaisi, they all are proving to be hurdles for Congress in Seemanchal, giving benefit of sharp polarisation of Hindu votes to BJP,” he said.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) national president Asaduddin Owaisi and his younger brother Akbaruddin Owaisi’s fiery speeches are also believed to be polarising Hindu votes in the four districts in Seemanchal, where Muslim electorate ranges from 30 to 70 %.
“The more you make such comments, the worse it will become for the party,” senior RJD leader Kamal Kishor Yadav said. “There is no need for attacking PM over sensitive issues like Pulawama attack and seeking evidence of the air strike.”
Neeraj Yadav, RJD MLA from Barari (Katihar), echoes similar views. “We have several burning issues such as farmers’ woes, condition of schools, corruption in government offices, unemployment and deteriorating law and order situation to take up during the polls and win over voters,” he said.
“We are much clear about the issues to be raised during our campaigning,” said Anant Bharti, Purnia district BJP spokesperson. “Our issues are national security, availability of electricity, better roads, education, crusade against corruption, better delivery system.”
Katihar, Kishanganj and Purnia Lok Sabha seats will go to polls on April 18 while Araria will go to polls on April 23.
About 69 lakh voters will cast their votes on 6,774 polling booths in Seemanchal.
