Bihar : Pre-Poll Re-alignment Game on

 Facing the tough challenges of Covid-19 and grim flood situation in Bihar... the Election Commission has issued new poll guidlines  and set the state on election mode. CBI probe of Sushant Singh Rajput's death also added political flavour.

 Politics is full of probabilities and possibilities. So ahead of Bihar Assembly polls,  the game of re-alliance begins with leaders crossing over their loyality. All parties are trying to find a "winning formula". Some leaders are either being sacked or expelled and some others leaving the present party and join other party. Also some political parties are doing tough bargain to safeguard their caste based vote bank in the coming Assembly polls. All these happenings  make the political scenario very fluid right now .

 The changing over loyality by leaders are being observed mostly in JDU, an alliance of  NDA run state govt. and the main opposition RJD. The fabrics of both regional  parties are known for caste based.  JDU expelled Nitish Govt.'s  minister Syam Rajak from the party's  primary membership but next day Rajak joined the RJD. On the other side JDU gains advantage when Chandrika Rai left the RJD. Son of former Bihar chief minister Daroga Prasad Rai....Chandrika Rai  was  one time Lalu Yadav's friend and samadhi. His joining of JDU is being seen as aftermath of development of bitter relations with Lalu Yadav's family. His daughter was married to Lalu's eldest son Tej Pratap Yadav but now their divorce case is in the court.

Besides,three more MLAs Maheshwar Prasad Yadav, Prema Chaudhary and Faraz Fatmi, who were fired out by RJD, also joined JDU fold. Meanwhile  the Grand Alliance comprising RJD and Congress got a major setback before the state assembly polls when former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) announced that it will leave the alliance. According to  party sources,  HAM-S may either merge with  JD(U) or enter into an alliance with NDA. HAM-S spokesperson Danish Rizwan said that the party’s executive committee has authorized Jitan Manjhi  to take a call on the future course of action.  Some other group of the Grand Alliance like Upendra Kushwaha led RLSP and ex- MP Ajay Sahni group are also trying to  find their own space to safeguard  their vote banks of backward castes.

Leaders like Devendra Prasad Yadav, Arun Kumar, Nagmani, and Renu Kushwaha having their influence in some pockets are approaching independent MLAs. In case they succeed to unite them, then they  may  bag 15-20 seats. Amid  all these political games....  ex-BJP stalwart and former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha also jumped into the race. He floated a new party... named United Democratic Alliance and gave an interesting turn to the state politics. The newly launched party is likely to put up candidates in some constituencies. Although political observers say... Yashwant Sinha's outfit is not in  real contest. The main direct  contest will be  between the NDA and the Grand Alliance.

However some other political experts opine that in case of  RJD agrees to project Yashwant Sinha as CM face of Grand Alliance, which appears a remote possibility, then this will present a new twist in Bihar politics and will see an interesting fight between Nitish and Yashwant. Both stalwarts are said to be known for their clean political image. Yashwant Sinha is meanwhile  canvassing for a change of leadership in Bihar. He is extensively visiting the drought and flood affected areas and meets  those masses who are battling to get medical attention in the times of a raging coronavirus pandemic.

Afte all, Tejashwi Yadav-led RJD is the main rival to Nitish Kumar.  Nitish Kumar is also eyeing electoral victory in alliance with the BJP and the LJP and he seemes to be confident of victory for the fourth consecutive time. BJP Chief J P Nadda has already announced thta NDA will fight election under Nitish Kumar leadership.

In the meantime , the Election Commission of India has issued new guidelines for coming Bihar assembly elections . The Commission is also holding talks with polititical parties.  Almost all opposition parties were unanimous on the issue of reverting to old  ballot paper system in view of Corona Crisis. But ECI guidelines has cleared that the Commission is not going to replace EVM  with Ballot Boxes.

Any way, the coming Bihar elections will be fought around: 15 Years Of Nitish Kumar Vs 15 Years Of Lalu Yadav.  Despite its achievements, the Nitish  government continues to fall back on its time-tested strategy of raising Lalu's 'jungle raj' to win elections in Bihar.

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