The Congress is yet to decide whether to project a “leader” in the upcoming Bihar Assembly polls at a time when the RJD-LJP has projected Lalu Prasad Yadav as the chief ministerial candidate, while the ruling Janata Dal (U)—BJP combine is fighting the electoral battle under the leadership of chief minister Nitish Kumar.
Interestingly both, Mr Kumar and Mr Yadav are unlikely to contest the election. This is because Mr Kumar is a member of the state legislative council while Mr Yadav is the sitting Lok Sabha member.
The Congress is the only national party which has decided to contest all the Assembly seats on its own. The BJP, another national party, is a junior ally of the JD(U) while the RJD has been compelled to have a pre-poll alliance with the Ram Vilas Paswan-led party.
The Mandalite parties — JD(U), RJD and the LJP — are heavily depending on the votes of minorities but they are not projecting a “leader” for the top post from the Muslim community. Significantly, they are not even ready to “offer” deputy chief ministership to this community.
The LJP had fought the last Assembly election on the issue of a Muslim chief minister, but this time it is backing Mr Yadav after striking a deal that a deputy chief ministership should be given to a brother of Mr Paswan — Pashupati Nath Paras if the RJD—LJP comes to power.
The Congress has Muslim PCC chief Mehboob Ali Kaiser who will lead the campaign from the front. But the party is keeping its cards close to its chest on the leadership issue as a strategy.
In the last Assembly polls, the issue of “Lalu rule” had strengthened the unity of the JD(U)-BJP combine. But this time JD(U) is not united with anti Nitish Kumar leaders like the sitting Lok Sabha member Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan) will campaign openly against his own party while former Union minister Devendra Prasad Yadav quit the RJD.