Tejashwi Yadav triple shock to Nitish Kumar: In the political battlefield of Bihar assembly elections, on Friday, Tejashwi Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has given three big blows one after the other to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JDU). These changes have exposed Tejashwi’s vicious strategy to break into the core vote bank of JDU. The three big faces of JDU who joined RJD include former MP Santosh Kushwaha, former JDU MLA Rahul Sharma and Chanakya Prakash Ranjan, son of JDU MP Girdhari Yadav. This move is not only demoralizing for JDU, but it shows that Tejashwi Yadav now wants to strengthen his hold not just on his MY (Muslim-Yadav) equation but also on other large caste communities.
RJD’s bet on Bhumihar votes in Magadh
Former JDU MLA Rahul Sharma’s joining RJD is the biggest political discussion topic. This step is being seen as a deliberate strategy by RJD to woo the big leaders of Bhumihar community in Magadha region. Rahul Sharma has deep penetration in Magadh region. His father Jagdish Sharma was MLA from Ghoshi seat continuously from 1977 to 2009 and became MP in 2009. His wife Shanti Sharma was also an MLA, while Rahul Sharma was the MLA from Ghoshi seat from 2010 to 2015. Jagdish Sharma has been an old friend of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, that is why his son’s entry into RJD is giving a big message in the political circles. There is news that Rahul Sharma can contest from RJD from Ghosi assembly constituency. Bhumihar voters have a good influence on the Ghosi seat, and the move could strengthen Tejashwi’s image of inclusive politics.
Burglary in Kushwaha Vote Bank
JDU has suffered this blow when former minister Lakshmeshwar Rai had also left the party a few days ago. Now former MP Santosh Kushwaha’s switching sides is a direct attack on Nitish Kumar’s core ‘Kushwaha’ vote bank. According to sources, Santosh Kushwaha was angry over his being ignored for a long time. Now joining RJD, he can contest against JDU minister Lacey Singh from Dhamdaha assembly seat. RJD has also intensified its efforts to include Ajay Kushwaha in the party as part of its strategy to woo big leaders of the Kushwaha community. Ajay Kushwaha can be made a candidate from Vaishali assembly seat. The Kushwaha community (which is counted among the extremely backward class) has been a staunch supporter of Nitish Kumar. RJD bringing influential leaders of this community into its fold can prove to be the biggest electoral challenge for JDU.
The atmosphere heated up even before seat distribution
No final decision has been taken yet in the Grand Alliance and NDA regarding seat sharing in Bihar, but with leaders changing sides and new caste equations being created, the political atmosphere has become more interesting and heated. While this big addition for Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD is strengthening the party’s caste base, it could prove to be a big blow for Nitish Kumar’s JDU. JDU is already struggling with continuous breakdown. JDU leaders joining RJD in this way can also increase pressure on NDA regarding seat sharing. This shows that Tejashwi Yadav is no longer relying only on the MY equation, but is also preparing to make a solid inroad into the upper caste (Bhumihar) and backward class (Kushwaha) votes. The people of Bihar are now eagerly waiting for the announcement of seat distribution.