JD(U) vs RJD vs LJP, and it’s not Bihar

While the JD(U) has been contesting elections – and winning seats – in Nagaland since 2003, the fledgling Chirag Paswan-led LJP (RV) has now also entered the electoral battlefield in the state with 19 candidates.

Last October, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar had visited Nagaland on Jayaprakash Narayan’s 120th birth anniversary, not just to continue staking his claim over the socialist icon’s legacy but also to flag the latter’s links with Nagaland.

During the turmoil in the 1950s, when the Naga National Council under Angami Zapu Phizo had declared independence from India that was followed by the Indian army’s action, JP had travelled extensively through the villages of the Nagaland region. Later, in 1964, when the Nagaland Baptist Church Council set up a peace mission, JP was one of its members along with then Assam CM B P Chaliha and Anglican priest Michael Scott.

The JD(U)’s Northeast in-charge Afaque Ahmad Khan referred to this history while pointing to the party’s presence in the state for the last 20 years. “JD(U) had contested in 2003 also in Nagaland polls and had won three seats, of whom (MLAs) one became a minister. The party did not contest in 2008, but it did in 2013 and got one MLA elected. In the last elections (2018) as well, we had got one MLA and our vote share was 4.5%. So we are not new to elections in the state and are contesting this time too in nine seats,” he said.

Like most parties contesting in the state, the JD(U) has declared it is open to post-poll alliances, not ruling out joining a government involving the BJP, even though Nitish said last month that he “would prefer to die than realign” with the NDA again.

“We are very open to post-poll alliances and have given autonomy to the state unit to form any alliance which is in the interest of the Naga people and the Naga peace process,” said Khan.

However, the JD(U)’s ally in the Bihar government, the Lalu Prasad-led RJD, which is contesting five seats in the Nagaland polls, has declared that if it wins any seats, it will not join any coalition government involving the BJP even though it would explore other post-poll alliances.

The RJD had not contested the 2018 polls, although it had fought from

two seats in 2013. “We had also contested in 2008 when we got a vote share of 6.7%,” said RJD leader Kumar Sarvjeet.

The new entrant LJP (RV) has roped in five incumbent MLAs of the ruling NDPP who were denied tickets. They are among its 19 candidates now.

LJP (RV) spokesperson Vineet Singh links the party’s electoral foray in Nagaland to its pursuit of a national party’s status. “In the last 2.5 years, our party’s Nagaland unit has been very active. We want to have an all-India presence so we are looking for a national party’s tag. We will not be fielding our candidates from any constituencies in which the BJP is contesting. Another reason is to counter Nitish Kumar’s way of working. Wherever JD(U) and RJD are present, we will be a hurdle to them,” he said, highlighting his party’s intention to be a part of the government.

Sarvjeet has accused the LJP of contesting as a “BJP’s proxy” in seats the latter is not contesting as part of its 20:40 seat-sharing formula with senior ally NDPP in the state.

“The BJP is contesting through the LJP (RV) against the NDPP, to make them suffer. Those who didn’t get BJP tickets are contesting as part of the LJP in constituencies in which NDPP is contesting. The BJP doesn’t want any regional parties to be powerful in any state,” the RJD leader charged.