Team NDA makes all the difference

The NDA may not finally form a government in Bihar, but in crossing the 90-seat mark, it has scored a psychological point. In the 2004 Lok S...

The NDA may not finally form a government in Bihar, but in crossing the 90-seat mark, it has scored a psychological point. In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections 8212; where, admittedly, the RJD, Congress and LJP were together 8212; the NDA had led in only 72 Assembly segments.

This time around, the NDA started the campaign very much the underdog. As a BJP leader put it, 8216;8216;We went in for a low-key campaign initially, working on keeping the alliance going8217;8217;. Indeed, to keep the BJP-JDU unity intact even in opposition, with the Vajpayee government gone and Congress rumour mills abuzz, was the first challenge.

In July 2004, just two months after the Lok Sabha defeat, initial meetings on Bihar began. Arun Jaitley of the BJP and Nitish Kumar of the JDU met for dinner, in what was to become the first of fortnightly conferences. Shortly afterwards, Sushil Modi joined them.

The plan was to 8216;8216;finalise candidates by September8217;8217;, but that didn8217;t happen. The BJP8217;s internal politics in Bihar proved a roadblock. Neither did Nitish8217;s attempts to woo Ram Vilas Paswan bear fruit, efforts the BJP central leadership now says it wasn8217;t entirely convinced about.

Nevertheless, by January, the alliance had its candidates ready. The JDU was stronger locally, the BJP provided the 8216;8216;logistical support8217;8217;. 8216;8216;Left to themselves,8217;8217; said a BJP leader, 8216;8216;they the JD-U couldn8217;t have managed the campaign, the helicopters, the money, the fine-tuning.8217;8217;

The issue of chief ministerial candidate was so messy that the alliance began the election without one. Midway, L.K. Advani announced Nitish8217;s name. But that was not before its drama.

Senior BJP office-bearers in Delhi wanted to project Shatrughan Sinha. Local feedback indicated otherwise. 8216;8216;Shatrughan is a kayasth,8217;8217; said a state-level functionary, 8216;8216;and the fact is Bihar is not ready for an upper caste chief minister for the next 10 years, maybe 20 years.8217;8217;

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Yet, as the election got underway, a decision had to be made. 8216;8216;We realised the RJD and NDA were neck and neck,8217;8217; explained an NDA leader, 8216;8216;with about 30 per cent vote share each. At this point, we needed one caste group to come out aggressively in our favour. We thought if we put up Nitish8217;s name, it would get the Kurmis to vote with more enthusiasm.8217;8217;

Much of the debate took place in the BJP. Jaitley pointed out Nitish could tilt the scales. Not all his party colleagues agreed, but his logic was backed by another astute politician who has been around Bihar 8212; Pramod Mahajan.

Finally, Advani announced Nitish8217;s candidature without so much as consulting the JDU. 8216;8216;We didn8217;t want the Thakur lobby there to get active,8217;8217; said a BJP leader, indicating that in Bihar8217;s minefield-like politics, you have to watch your allies as much as your opponents.