For him being identified as the protégé of Nitish Kumar is more worth than upholding political and ideological line and character of his party. Yes, this is an open secret and even a layman will endorse this. The deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Modi has been projecting Nitish as the best friend and true protagonist for the saffron outfit.
In his pursuit to serve his political master, Sushil Modi even preferred to ignore the JD(U) campaign against RSS. Special Branch of the Bihar Police had recently issued a letter suggesting that Nitish Kumar government is trying to dig out the roots of the RSS by collecting details of the persons associated with it and its other affiliated outfits.
Through his letter of May 28, the SP (Special Branch) Patna had directed deputy SPs to collect names, addresses, phone numbers and professions of the office bearers of RSS residing in their areas within a week. The SP had also asked to give information related to other 18 right-wing organisations supporting the RSS.
Modi who acts with alacrity when some raises the using finger against the RSS and BJP preferred to adopt a passive attitude towards the episode. Little doubt Modi has remained unfazed of the devastating impact the letter had on the organisation. Senior RSS and BJP leaders were quite angry with his passive silence and not taking up the matter from Nitish whether he actually issued orders to collect details of the RSS and its functionaries.
A senior BJP leader did not mince words in criticising and even condemning the attitude and approach in the matter. Apprehensions were cast that this letter might jeopardise the JDU-BJP Alliance in Bihar. Ironically this trepidation even failed to move Modi. He continued to display his loyalty to Nitish. Significantly while most of the senior leaders sought clarification from Nitish as to how the SP (special branch) could despatch this nature of letter without the approval of the Home Minister, significantly Nitish holds the portfolio, Modi maintained to keep away from the controversy. The matter was even raised in the Bihar Legislative Council and national media cell in-charge, Sanjay Mayukh, who is close to Amit Shah. Mayukh demanded inquiry into the circumstances under which such a probe was ordered.
While Nitish has been known for his anti-RSS stand and views, but for Modi it is not an issue to strain his political relations with Nitish who is on records to have given the call for ‘RSS-mukt Bharat’ (RSS-free India) on the pattern of Narendra Modi’s call for ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ (India without Congress). The BJP leaders even suspect of the intentions of Nitish, The BJP and RSS have over 135 organisations engaged in different fields. “The investigation into only 19 outfits is also mysterious. Was it a ploy to collect details about only such leaders who worked in the last Lok Sabha elections?” observed a senior BJP leader.
If the party insiders are to be believed, Modi has been trying to outwit other leaders, especially those from the upper caste. The sources maintain that Modi has been working out on the line to test the political waters ahead of the 2020 state assembly elections.
It is significant to watch even while the controversy was raging, Sushil Modi came out with the statement denying any rift between the JD(U) and BJP and claiming that the NDA would face the assembly election under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. His effort was aimed at dispelling the impression that BJP would go to the polls on its own. In case the BJP decides to go alone it would have to project its own leader, someone other than Sushil Modi. Chances are bleak that Modi would be assigned this gigantic task.
Rumours are afloat that BJP would strive to assert its own identity. The leaders nurse the view that since Nitish has lost his grip on the state and its administration we must have our person as the chief minister or the opposition will have its own government in the future. They cite the two major administrative failures of Nitish; first death of nearly 250 kids due to encephalitis and second, death of nearly 150 persons in the floods which has been still raging in the state. They also point out how media has severely criticised Sushil Modi for his neglect of the flood hit people. While people were dying infloods he was enjoying a cinema with his wife. In both the cases Nitish appeared at the scene at the fag end. The BJP leaders feel that they would have the price for the failure of Sushil and Nitish. As such a section of the BJP leaders are in favour of fighting the state polls separately. For this it is imperative that it must severe its relation with the JD(U).
It is also said that the former state president Nityanand Rai was elevated to minister of state for home affairs in the union cabinet only for projecting as the chief ministerial candidate in case the BJP decides to go alone with LJP in the assembly polls. The BJP leaders are no more inclined to listen to the dictates of Nitish. It is being pointed that the Bihar development model, evolved by JD(U) and compared with models of development in Gujarat, has failed to win votes for Nitish.
Meanwhile on July 21 the JD (U) senior leader Pawan Verma has challenged the BJP leaders to contest 2020 assembly elections on their own. He was angry with the BJP leaders for espousing the political line of severing ties with Nitish. A senior BJP MLC Sachidanand Rai had even described Nitish as rank opportunist. (IPA Service)
A New Low In Turncoat Politics In India 