By Rahil Nora Chopra
As the high-stakes battle for Bihar inches closer, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has been busy cornering the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar over corruption, while positioning himself as an alternative leader capable of ushering in clean politics in the state, with his Jan Suraaj Party is contesting all 243 seats. Kishor padyatras have built buzz, especially among youth tired of caste-first politics. PK might not sweep seats, but he could split NDA and opposition votes or hold the balance of power in a hung house. On the other hand, NDA still packs the most formidable machine in Bihar politics. Central schemes, Nitish Kumar’s rural connect, and the BJP’s cadre discipline give the NDA its political heft. But Nitish’s image and governance credibility are being affected not just by the anti-incumbency wave, but also by health problems, corruption, and deteriorating law and order. Migration and unemployment are attracting young voters and first-time voters towards the Mahagathbandhan. The NDA can bank on upper castes, non-Yadav OBCs, and urban voters, but if youth anger boils over, its core base could wobble. Moreover, the talks over seat sharing in the NDA has become challenging due to the demands of Chirag Paswan, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Upendra Kushwaha. Although the HAM (Secular) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi publicly staked claim to at least 20 seats, stressing the need for the NDA leaders to show sympathy towards his party. The HAM (Secular) draws strength primarily from the Musahar caste Dalits in the central Bihar districts. While the Chirag Paswan’s party had 100 percent strike rate in Lok Sabha polls, winning all five seats, it has now demanded for nearly 30 to 35 seats. The LJP (RV) is primarily known as a party of the Paswans among the Dalits. According to NDA sources, the JD(U) is insisting on 50:50 formula. According to party insiders, the final decision on seat sharing among NDA allies in Bihar is likely to be announced soon. For the INDIA bloc, the election is a test of whether it can convert anti-incumbency into votes for them. Tejashwi Yadav, who has been positioning himself as a youth leader with a promise of jobs and welfare, remains the face of the campaign. RJD has a strong social base primarily rooted in its traditional Muslim-Yadav (M-Y) vote bank in the state and supplemented by alliances with Congress, VIP, RLJP and Left parties. The RJD chief has been vocal about getting seats reserved for the OBC-EBC community in state and Parliament elections, earning the community’s support. The Congress has increased its base among SCs and EBCs (Chamar, Musahar, Mallah) with the help of the caste census. The issue of “vote theft” has weakened PM Modi’s appeal, and schemes like Mai-Behan Man Yojana and free electricity are driving women voters towards the Grand Alliance. The seat-sharing troubles might not be as big as that in the NDA but some issues are there. According to sources, RJD might contest 122-127 seats, Congress 58-65, left parties 30-33, VIP 10-15, RLJP and JMM 2-3 seats.
CONGRESS REJIGS HARYANA LEADERSHIP TO WOO JAT-OBC COMMUNITIES
Appointing Bhupinder Singh Hooda as Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and Rao Narender Singh as Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief marks a significant shift for the Congress in Haryana from having a Jat-Dalit to Jat-OBC combination of leaders in the party’s top posts of CLP leader and HPCC chief. However, the announcement did not go down well with a senior leader and former minister Captain Ajay Yadav, who hit out at the party leadership and urged it to introspect its decision. The Congress had replaced former Hodal MLA Udan Bhan, a Dalit leader, with Rao Narender Singh. According to sources, Ajay Yadav, a former six-time MLA was expecting the state Congress president post either for him or his son Chiranjeev Rao and he was upset after the party decided to appoint former Narnaul MLA Rao Narender Singh for the state chief post. With Narender Singh’s appointment, the Congress, however, will be hoping to bridge the gap between warring factions, an issue that has plagued the party in the state for long. In what is being seen as the first step towards reconciliation, the new state chief met Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala, seen as belonging to Hooda’s rival camp. While another perceived Hooda rival, Sirsa MP Kumari Selja, conveyed her best wishes. Meanwhile, Rao Narender Singh, an Ahir and backward class (BC) leader as state chief and the decision was seen as a balancing act to attract the BCs in the state. With a BC leader, Nayab Singh Saini of the BJP at the helm as chief minister, the Congress has made an attempt to make inroads in the 33 percent backward class vote-bank.
BOTH BSP, SP TO MARK LATE KANSHI RAM’S DEATH ANNIVERSARY ON OCT 9
To galvanise the party’s rank and file ahead of the 2027 UP Assembly elections, Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has stepped up its preparations for a mega rally in Lucknow on October 9 to mark the death anniversary of Kanshi Ram, the BSP’s founder. The BSP supporters have come up with several new slogans, songs, posters and banners, doing wall paintings in villages to invite people to the Lucknow rally. The party has also been running a big social media campaign in this regard. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party (SP) has instructed its workers to organise meetings across Uttar Pradesh to mark the 19th death anniversary of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshi Ram (1934-2006) on October 9. Besides, the party is also gearing up to celebrate Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti on October 7. The SP has directed its workers to celebrate the occasion in their respective districts.
VASUNDHARA RAJE’S HECTIC PARLEYS WITH BJP TOP BRASS MAY BEAR FRUITS
The speculation is rife within the BJP over a major cabinet reshuffle and expansion in the Bhajan Lal Sharma government in Rajasthan. In fact, former Rajasthan CM and senior BJP leader Vasundhara Raje could be planning to make a comeback after being pushed into political exile following the party leadership’s decision to appoint Bhajan Lal Sharma as the Chief Minister in 2023. Raje had held a flurry of meetings with the top BJP-RSS functionaries, including PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. With a Cabinet reshuffle looming in the state, BJP insiders claim Raje’s hectic parleys are aimed at ensuring ministerial posts for her loyalists. According to sources, Raje is also said to be lobbying for a ministerial berth in the Union Ministry for her son Dushyant Singh, the MP from Jhalawar.
CONGRESS TO LAUNCH ‘GANDHI PATHEE’ PADYATRA TO COVER ODISHA
The Odisha Pradesh Congress launched its statewide “Gandhi Pathee” yatra from the Maoist-hit tribal belt of Malkangiri district of southern Odisha on Gandhi Jayanti for creating awareness among people about alleged vote theft and rising crimes against women during the BJP’s rule in the state. The year-long padyatra will touch every nook and corner of the state. However, it will halt briefly during the campaign for the Nuapada bypoll in western Odisha. The Odisha Congress leaders criticised both the BJP and previous BJD government for neglect and exploitation, urging transformation for Odisha’s people. (IPA Service)
Ladakh Is Only Seeking Security Within India’s Constitutional Framework 