Shah claims 'jungle raj' back in Bihar; BJP will be wiped out, say Nitish, Lalu

Aditi Tandon

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New Delhi, February 25

It was daggers drawn in Bihar politics on Saturday with top BJP and JDU/RJD leaders hitting out at one another in a no-holds-barred attack.

BJP’s doors closed

Enough of ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’. BJP’s doors are closed forever for Nitish. Amit Shah, HM

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Nitish flip-flops

• In 2013, Nitish ended a 17-year-old JDU alliance with the BJP protesting Narendra Modi’s declaration as the BJP’s PM face for the 2014 LS polls
• After a setback in the 2014 LS polls, Nitish allied with former foe Lalu Yadav and Congress to contest 2015 polls. They won and Nitish became the CM
• In July 2017, Nitish accused Lalu of dominance and dumped the grand alliance
• Nitish again allied with the BJP in 2020 to contest the Bihar polls, both won. He again became the CM
• In August 2022, Nitish dumped the BJP to return to Lalu

While Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing a rally in the Balmiki Nagar Lok Sabha segment in Bihar’s Lauria, attacked state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for “opportunism” saying he had plunged Bihar into jungle raj, the latter hit back, saying the BJP would be wiped out from the country.

Shah, visiting Bihar the same day as the ruling alliance partners JDU and RJD held a rally at Purnea, said BJP’s doors were closed on Nitish forever. “Enough of ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’. BJP’s doors are closed forever for Nitish,” Shah said, adding, “After fighting his entire life, since Jayaprakash Narayan’s days against the Congress and also against the Congress-RJD jungle raj, Nitish Kumar has allied with the same RJD and Congress. From being a vikaswaadi (development oriented) he has become an ‘avsarwaadi’ (an opportunist) to suit his prime ministerial ambitions, which he has every three years.”

Shah asked Nitish, who recently signalled that he was ready to hand over Bihar to RJD leader and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, what his real intentions were.

Nitish, for his part, reiterated that a united opposition could stop the BJP below 100 seats in the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, but this outcome was incumbent on the Congress quickly making up its mind on alliances.

“If all opposition parties, including the Congress, come together and fight the 2024 Lok Sabha polls unitedly, the BJP will be restricted to under 100 seats. But the Congress will have to take a quick decision in this regard. If it concurs with my suggestion, we can restrict the BJP to under 100 seats. If it does not, we know what will happen,” Nitish said at the Purnea rally.

The JDU leader added that the “BJP needs to be wiped out from the country” and that he would “keep trying to make that happen”.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad also addressed the rally virtually, in his first appearance since the renal transplant in Singapore. “The BJP is trying to divide the country on the basis of caste and religion. The BJP and RSS are against minorities and weaker sections. We will wipe out the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2025 Assembly polls,” Lalu echoed foe-turned-friend Nitish.

Of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar when the BJP, JDU and the LJP fought together, the BJP won all 17 it contested, JDU won 16 and LJP 6. In 2014, the NDA had won 31 of the 40 seats.