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Journalism of Courage
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar might be among those leaders pushing visibly for national Opposition unity, but he already seems to have lost a big opportunity, when the JD(U) avoided taking part in the joint letter sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by top leaders of eight parties, including his Bihar ally the RJD. The parties that raised concerns over the “blatant misuse” of Central agencies by the Modi government included the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, National Conference, NCP and the Shiv Sena (UBT).
JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar and national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh aka Lalan Singh have been critical of the Centre for its “vendetta politics”, but when it came to putting the dissent in black and white, the party preferred to stay out. The Opposition move followed the arrest of AAP leader and Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
In contrast to the JD(U), the RJD was part of the Opposition letter. For Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and his father, RJD national president Lalu Prasad, the government’s actions are also personal as the family is at the receiving end of investigations by Central agencies.
But by not attacking the BJP beyond a point, Nitish, who is touted as one of the movers and shakers of national Opposition unity, has again fallen back on his “twin-track” politics. In the state, for example, after aggressively projecting Tejashwi as his successor, he has lowered the expectations regarding the same lately. After the latest questioning of the Lalu family, including the ailing RJD supremo himself, the JD(U) only responded two days later, by calling the CBI action as being carried out at the behest of the BJP.
For the astute political juggler, after all,a middle path has served well as he has crossed sides several times. His announcement that “Mar jaana pasand karenge, lekin BJP ke saath wapas nahin jayenge (I would prefer to die rather than join hands with BJP again)” was also taken with a pinch of salt by one and all, who still remember that he had made a similar statement when he made his 2013 exit from the NDA, only to rejoin the coalition in 2017.
A senior JD(U) leader defended the party’s ambiguity citing the “lack of clarity” in Opposition ranks. “Despite the hue and cry about Opposition unity, we are not sure if it will materialise. The JD(U) is at the crossroads of its existence. The outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will decide how long the party is able to sustain. And hence, there is ambivalence in our strategy.”
An RJD leader admitted unhappiness over the JD(U) choosing not to be part of the joint Opposition letter to the PM. “Nitish Kumar is probably aware that Opposition unity might not happen the way he wants it. This is why he is shying away from taking a clear stand. This brand of twin-track politics has always suited him,” an RJD leader said, adding that they might not press the matter as they were focused on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.”
Set to travel to various states after April, in a bid towards his national ambitions, Nitish would be watching how the Congress responds to a combined non-BJP front. So long as the Congress is unsure about this, Nitish will be happy playing his twin-track politics of blowing hot and cold about the BJP.
