‘Individuals in Bihar are not looking for MY, they need A to Z’: Okay.C. Tyagi

JD(U) secretary basic Okay.C. Tyagi with Bihar Chief Minister and occasion president Nitish Kumar in Patna on August 19, 2017.
| Photograph Credit score: RANJEET KUMAR

Moreover Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, Bihar is the one State the place the upcoming Lok Sabha election shall be carried out throughout all seven phases. Months earlier than the election, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar, who was one of many founding members of the INDIA bloc, switched allegiances again to the BJP-led Nationwide Democratic Alliance (NDA)—having abandoned them earlier in 2022.

Within the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the NDA comprising the JD(U), the BJP, and the Lok Janshakti Get together (LJP) had swept the State, profitable 39 out of 40 seats and decimating the opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Come 2024, the NDA is banking on this synergy between alliance companions and the non-public recognition of Nitish Kumar to win most seats regardless of anti-incumbency and the Congress’ caste census pitch.

In an interview with Frontline, former Rajya Sabha MP and JD(U) secretary basic Okay.C. Tyagi spoke of how the possibilities of the NDA companions wouldn’t be affected by a bitter previous and highlighted the contradictions throughout the opposition INDIA bloc. Excerpts:

Do you not suppose there’s a downside of loads for the NDA in Bihar with too many allies with a bitter relationship with one another prior to now, say Chirag Paswan versus Nitish Kumar, Upendra Kushwaha versus the BJP in addition to versus Nitish Kumar? Even Paswan’s occasion (Lok Janshakti Get together or LJP) has two teams. How will this work on the bottom?

This downside is just not with us however with the INDIA alliance. Each factions of the late Ram Vilas Paswan’s occasion [led by uncle Paras and nephew Chirag respectively] have campaigned along with us on the identical stage. Kushwaha is a senior chief, having labored with the JD(U) [Janata Dal (United)] earlier. The BJP is the pivot within the alliance and there’s no dispute.

Then again, the RJD in its overzealousness of getting its dominance in addition to the only real face of Tejashwi [Yadav] has antagonised former Purnea MP Pappu Yadav from the Congress. Pappu, after being denied the ticket, is contesting independently. The RJD is just not honouring both its allies or its leaders. In distinction, there’s coordination between staff of the JD(U) and the BJP. We have now been collectively for a very long time. We amicably distributed seats amongst allies, and our leaders from completely different events have additionally appeared on the identical stage in rallies.

Additionally Learn | Caste alliances will form the tense battle between NDA and INDIA bloc in Bihar 

However is Nitish Kumar’s recognition graph not declining? Many imagine his EBC (Extraordinarily Backward Lessons) vote has shifted to the BJP.

This alliance [of Nitish Kumar with the BJP] was firmed when George Fernandes and Nitish Kumar left Lalu Prasad’s Janata Dal, opposing his misrule in Bihar in 1994 and shaped the Samata Get together, which allied with the BJP. Let me return to the post-Emergency period when socialist events and the Jana Sangh joined fingers in 1977 to oust [then Prime Minister] Indira Gandhi. Our alliance has an ideological foundation, although we’ve got parted methods just a few instances.

Within the final Meeting election [in 2020], Chirag Paswan fought outdoors the NDA and fielded candidates in opposition to the JD(U) attributable to which we misplaced in additional than 35 seats. So there was a cause for a decline within the variety of seats however Nitish stays fashionable. There isn’t any cost of corruption or nepotism on Nitish Kumar. I don’t see Bihar selecting to return to a darkish age by defeating Nitish Kumar.

How do you justify Nitish Kumar continuously altering companions—going forwards and backwards on aligning and never aligning with the BJP? Do you not suppose it dents his credibility? The RJD had earlier mocked him as ”Paltu” (one who makes somersaults) Kumar.

Why ought to Nitish Kumar be singled out for this? Does this allegation—that he broke alliances—take away the very fact there isn’t any query about his efficiency? That is an period of alliances and likewise an period of adjusting allies. Inform me one occasion that has not modified allies. The BJP allied with the Nationwide Convention after which the PDP [Peoples Democratic Party] in Jammu and Kashmir. These events additionally stored altering alliances.

The Congress, after opposing the Shiv Sena for many years, allied with it. Equally, the Congress is in alliance with the DMK [Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam] now, placing behind the bitter previous of their relationship. In reality, the Congress withdrew assist from the I.Okay. Gujral authorities within the Nineteen Nineties over not taking motion in opposition to DMK leaders, whom it suspected of selling the LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] who had a hand in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. The Congress had even fought in opposition to the NCP [Nationalist Congress Party] for fairly a while earlier than lastly aligning with it. Why blame Nitish Kumar alone for this?

“Individuals is not going to purchase it if one particular person abruptly wakes up and begins screaming “caste census-caste census”. They’ll see who has an actual dedication to social justice.”

However Nitish Kumar had a key position in forming the INDIA bloc and was being seen as a key Opposition face to tackle the Narendra Modi-led BJP. Why this volte face?

The try that Nitish Kumar initiated from Patna for forming the INDIA bloc failed due to the obstinate method of the Congress, which was unbending on imposing its household management [Rahul Gandhi] on the alliance. It’s working at cross functions even now.

What’s the level of Rahul Gandhi preventing the election in opposition to the Left in Kerala? In West Bengal, the Congress is preventing the Trinamool Congress. In Maharashtra, seat sharing took a lot time. There isn’t any cohesion and all of the allies are preventing for less than their area. INDIA mein sar phutawwal hai [There are so many squabbles in INDIA].

Bihar was the one State which carried out and revealed a caste survey report final yr however the Congress appears to have gained management over the caste census pitch. Do you suppose the Congress can overturn your apple cart on the OBC depend in Bihar as nicely within the nation?

In his first time period itself, [Prime Minister] Jawaharlal Nehru had dismissed the demand for a caste census. There had been no caste census since 1931. After the Mandal Fee report recommending 27 per cent reservation for OBCs was applied, Rajiv Gandhi expressed reservations. Once in a while, varied Congress leaders have spoken in opposition to caste-based reservation however they can not brazenly oppose it attributable to concern of dropping votes. That’s the report of the Congress.

Quite the opposite, we’re a celebration of social justice. Ours is a celebration of OBCs and Dalits. When India was within the grip of a feudal system, Karpoori Thakur within the Seventies moved to supply categorised reservation to completely different hierarchies of OBCs. 5 many years later, Nitish Kumar did so by publishing the caste survey report and earlier than that, by organising a Mahadalit fee and “ati pichchda ayog” [Commission of Most Backward Classes]. Individuals is not going to purchase it if one particular person abruptly wakes up and begins screaming “caste census-caste census”. They’ll see who has an actual dedication to social justice.

Additionally Learn | Energy to the individuals: India’s democracy wants a subaltern revival

Whereas the NDA has shaped a big alliance, the voter base of MY (Muslim-Yadav) stays intact with the RJD and this can be a giant base to which Tejashwi Yadav is attempting so as to add different social teams. Is it not a formidable problem to the NDA?

This base was additionally with them in 2019 after which the RJD had not gained even a single Lok Sabha seat. Individuals are not looking for MY, they need A to Z. They’ll assist a coalition that takes care of all castes and sections. That is what the NDA represents in Bihar, having inducted representatives from all teams.