‘Janata parties’ combination won’t work… EBCs have deserted Lalu’

It does not matter if Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar fight as alliance partners or as a merged entity; the alliance is bound to see Lalu’s dominance. There may be three or four claimants to one seat. The battle within the Janata family will suit us. We are not overawed by their social combination because such alliances generally do not convert (into votes). Plus, Nitish Kumar is facing anti-incumbency of two terms. It should be a vote for change.

Doesn’t Nitish Kumar’s ‘development image’ worry the BJP?

That development face of Nitish Kumar has suffered a serious dent after the NDA split. More so, after he fell into the company of Lalu Prasad. Nitish has failed to add a new scheme since the NDA days. He had announced a sanitary napkin scheme for girls but it has not taken off. Why should people give Nitish a third term?

Do you expect the protests over the land bill to reflect in the Bihar results?

These are assembly polls and will be fought on state and local issues. As for the Centre, our ministers have cited a lot of achievements in the last one year. Bihar’s people should vote for change because the BJP is the only party that has not been tested. There has been an adversarial Centre-state relationship for 25 years. People have the chance to install an NDA government in Bihar for faster growth.

There has been talk of Nitish being in touch with NDA should the merger of the Janata parties not work out.

It (such reports) is a JD(U) plant to put pressure on Lalu. There is no question of the BJP going with Nitish again. We have good allies in Ram Vilas Paswan and Upendra Kushwaha.

Where does Jitan Ram Manjhi  stand in the BJP’s scheme of things?

There has been no proposal from Manjhi so far. It is up to him to take a call. The BJP stand is open-ended. Manjhi will surely eat into the Mahadalit votebank cultivated by Nitish. It will suit us.

Would you look at Pappu Yadav in the Kosi/Seemanchal belt?

There is no questioning of having any truck with Pappu. We have done well in Kosi and Seemanchal in the past.

What social combination will be the decider in the polls?

EBCs will surely be the decider. EBCs have deserted RJD since 1999 and were strongly with us in the last Lok Sabha polls. We have a large social umbrella… The development agenda, Nitish’s being with retrogressive Lalu and a social consolidation in the NDA’s favour will be the deciders.