Promises to launch prohibition campaign in UP May 15 onwards
Promises to launch prohibition campaign in UP May 15 onwards
Janata Dal (United) president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday set the tone for the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh by trying to position himself as a direct challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But launching his offensive in Varanasi, Mr Modi’s constituency, the signal Mr Kumar wanted to send was loud and clear — that he could well be the face of an anti-BJP front in the next general elections.
Uttar Pradesh, often described as the “gateway to Delhi”, was Mr Kumar’s obvious starting point. Mr Kumar, projected as Arjun from Mahabharata in posters that were plastered across the city (with Sharad Yadav as his saarthi, guide), made it clear that he would lead the campaign against the BJP in UP.
“Yes, he is our Arjun and will demolish the army of Kauravas in the country,” said JD(U) state president Suresh Niranjan Bhaiyya.
Aware that with the JD(U)’s negligible presence in the state, he would need the support of at least one major player to challenge the BJP in the Assembly polls scheduled next year, said that he respected Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh.
He did, however, add that “when we were fighting against the BJP in Bihar, he left us.”
Mr Kumar is looking at the possibility of a grand alliance of anti-BJP, secular parties for 2019, and the Congress, incidentally, is already on board.
Apart from the fact that it is the Prime Minister’s turf, Mr Kumar chose a workers’ meeting in Varanasi because of its large Kurmi population. Mr Kumar, a Kurmi himself, intends to play the caste card to dismantle the BJP’s OBC dream to the extent possible.
Interestingly, a significant aspect of Mr Kumar’s workers’ rally was the visibly large presence of women. Mr Kumar announced to thunderous applause that he would launch a campaign for prohibition in UP May 15 onwards. He said that he had banned liquor in Bihar on the specific demand of women.
Slamming the BJP for turning its back on promises made during the Lok Sabha elections, Mr Kumar said that he had come to UP to ask people to see through the BJP: “Varanasi knows how arrogant the BJP leaders can be. The people of this city are aware of how they have been fooled. The entire country knows this, too. Bihar has given an apt reply to the BJP and it is the turn of Uttar Pradesh now.”
“Their slogan says ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ but their real story began from UP. First it was ‘Love Jihad’, then ‘Ghar Wapsi’ and then beef. Now they are talking of ‘deshbhakti’ though their ideological ancestors, the RSS, had nothing to do with the freedom struggle.
I am glad that the BJP has finally started talking about the tricolour instead of their saffron flag and this is the victory of socialism”, he added.
“They said they would bring back black money stashed abroad within 100 days and each citizen would get around Rs 15 lakh. BJP president now says that this was just a jumla. They have taken people for a ride,” he said. Targeting the rural belt, he said that the Modi government had promised that a 50 per cent profit would be ensured for farmers while announcing the minimum support price. “Has anyone got it Have the youth got the jobs they were promised” he asked.
