Bihar polls: 6-time BJP MLA who wants to be CM

Prem Kumar explains the “legitimacy” of his claim through caste dynamics which, he says, is at the centre of the poll calculus in Bihar.

Amid the competition to become the NDA’s chief ministerial contender, a six-time legislator from Gaya, Prem Kumar, says he is the most suitable candidate because of his track record, experience and educational background.

“I am not saying I should be projected as the chief ministerial candidate of the party. I can’t say that myself. It is the demand of the people and party workers,’’ Kumar told The Indian Express after addressing a workers convention in his constituency.

“I have been in the BJP for 40 years. I have won six consecutive assembly elections since 1990 from here. There isn’t any other leader in the party with such a record of victory”.

Kumar said because the BJP is the largest party in the NDA alliance in the state, “the chief ministerial candidate will have to come from BJP”.

“I am a disciplined worker and know the decision to choose a chief ministerial candidate is with the party’s parliamentary board. But I have to say what the public wants — what supporters of the BJP want,’’ he said. “I have been a minster thrice: PWD, Public Health Engineering and, till the time we were in coalition with the JD(U), Urban Development and Housing. I was in charge of making roads across Bihar, which helped us win in 2010”.

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He said his educational qualifications give him an added edge. “I am a PhD in history and have a law degree as well,’’ he said.

Kumar explains the “legitimacy” of his claim through caste dynamics which, he says, is at the centre of the poll calculus in Bihar. “I am from the OBCs. A bulk of the vote in Bihar is OBC. We are around 47 per cent of the total. I belong to the Chandervanshi caste, which accounts for 4 per cent of the OBC vote. Everybody knows OBCs are demanding that the chief ministerial candidate of the BJP must come from them,’’ he said.

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“This is the vote that once made Lalu the chief minister of Bihar. The coalition government of BJP and Nitish Kumar was also voted to power by this bulk vote Modiji got this vote. This time, I think the OBCs have made up their mind to vote for the BJP.”

While Kumar was counting the reasons to show why he is the most appropriate leader to be named chief ministerial candidate, party workers who had gathered outside the BJP officer in Pita Maheshwar neighbourhood were raising slogans in his favour. “Bihar ka mukhi mantra kaisa ho ga — Prem Kumar jaisa ho ga” (How should Bihar’s CM be — He should be like Prem Kumar).

Reminded that there are several other contenders such as former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi who are much more visible than he is, he said that was only because Sushil Modi was given a post and was heading the legislative party. “There isn’t anybody with a better record in the party in Bihar than I,’’ he said. “The party supporters raised slogans demanding that I be declared as a CM candidate in front of Modiji too when he came to Bodh Gaya recently.”