It’s going to be Nitish versus rest in Bihar

The formation of new political parties and alliances has turned Bihar into a big political battleground and it is more than likely now that contest in the upcoming Assembly elections will be multi-cornered and it has now turned out that all these parties are set to target Nitish Kumar. It’s clearly Nitish Kumar versus the rest of the parties in Bihar.

Ranjan Yadav, who had resigned from the JD(U) on Thursday, formed a political front — Mandal Vichar Manch — in the presence of other dissident leaders, including Pappu Yadav. Making an announcement on the occasion, he said: “This front will launch a drive called jan jagriti abhiyan (people’s awareness drive) against Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav in all 534 blocks of the state. We will expose them before the Assembly polls.”

Expelled RJD MP Pappu Yadav welcomed the move and said: “This front will further expose the real face of Lalu Yadav, who is responsible for the plight of backwards, particularly Yadavs, who he claims are his real voters. They turned away from him the day he joined hands with Nitish Kumar sending a message among the masses that he has chosen him as his leader.”

Mr Ranjan Yadav, a Rajya Sabha MP, had resigned from the JD(U) on Thursday saying that he could not remain with Mr Kumar after he joined hands with RJD chief Lalu Yadav.

“Earlier, Nitish Kumar used to oppose Lalu Yadav and his polices. The mandate in the last two Assembly elections was against Lalu Yadav. He has betrayed that mandate and people will not forgive him in this Assembly election, which is just two months away,” he said.

The coming together of these leaders is being viewed as significant and murmurs in the political circle have already begun that Mr Ranjan Yadav’s newly political front is being backed by the BJP. Mr Ranjan Yadav has also said that his political front will not only help other factions who are against Mr Nitish Kumar and Mr Lalu Yadav but will also fully support candidates of Mr Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha and Mr Pappu Yadav’s Jan Adhikar Morcha in the coming polls likely to be held in September and October.