Well before RSS could strike at the fundamentals of the INDIA bloc and make it dysfunctional at the block level before the assembly elections in Bihar by th3 end of 2025,, the INDIA bloc retaliated and stuck hard at the saffron ecosystem at its third coordination committee meeting held in Patna on Sunday by announcing its plan to contest all the 243 assembly seats jointly and intensify grassroots-level engagement ahead of the election to be held in November this year.
With RSS working on the strategy to deploy cadres at the booth level and entrust them with the task to reach out to every individual voter, and Narendra Modi’s frequent forays to the state, have made it abundantly clear to the INDIA bloc leaders that they must come out of slumber and take the saffron challenge head on. The announcement has yet another significant dimension. During the last two months, Modi had visited Bihar at least four times.
It is quite significant that Modi skipped Pahalgam and did not feel necessary to assuage the sentiments and emotion of people whose kins were massacred , and even skipped the most important all party meet convened by him in New Delhi., He rather rushed to Bihar for issuing threat to the terrorists. Undeniably this was his clever move to garner peoples’ sympathy to cross the electoral river Baitarani.
The state BJP leaders were working overtime to create confusion amongst the people of the state about the existence of the INDIA. It was rumoured across the state that the Congress leadership was not willing to accept Tejashvi Yadav as its leader. In their game they were using the services of Prashant Kishore who had even floated his own political party. Kishore was adding to the prevailing confusion by questioning intentions of Congress.
Narendra Modi was due to come to Bihar on May 4, coinciding with INDIA bloc’s meeting, for inaugurating Khelo India Youth Games. But wide criticism of his frequent visits to Bihar, made him retreat. Instead of coming to Bihar, he preferred to inaugurate the games event through video conferencing. There is no denying his physical presence would have helped him and saffron ecosystem immensely. He missed the public relations opportunity to bless the young players. The event was meant to motivate the athletes at the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG), a ten day affair. The importance of the event could be understood from the simple fact that the events are to be in Patna, Rajgir, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Begusarai besides Delhi.
Though the Congress at its March 24 CWC meeting had decided to accept the leadership of Tejashvi, it was Modi’s latest stance that motivated to swing into action and dispel wrong notions from the minds of the people. The meeting was attended by Tejashwi, Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar, AICC In-charge of Bihar Krishna Allavaru, CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI-M representative,, CPI secretary Ramnaresh Pandey, and VIP chief Mukesh Sahani. The message was loud and clear; INDIA bloc is for defeat of the BJP and NDA..
The primary motive of the meeting was to send the message to the block level that the opposition parties were united and had no differences as was being rumoured by the saffron ecosystem. Even the district presidents and general secretaries of the six parties attended the meet.. The meeting, titled India Alliance Dialogue Programme, focused on strategy and coordination for the upcoming polls. Tejashvi, the coordination committee chairman said the alliance would launch joint outreach efforts from the district to the panchayat levels. “There will also be sub-committees at every level,” he said.
The meet decided to acquaint the people of the achievements when the Mahagathbandhan was in power; they had give seven lakh jobs in 17 months of the Mahagathbandhan government in the state. RJD MP Manoj Jha made it abundantly clear “There is no confusion about leadership in our alliance. The people of Bihar know who will be the leader.” The leaders of the constituent parties attending the meet took upon themselves the task to clarify that that they were united and no confusion prevailed in the bloc about the future leader. They also formulated strategy for better coordination among its six constituents at state, block, and district levels.
CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya later said that the issue of seat sharing would be sorted out in near future. Already evaluation and assessment of the seats are underway. He was hopeful that the issue will be settled amicably and the RJD will not behave like big brother. He said the coordination committee is already working on a joint election manifesto and joint election campaign, besides other strategies.
Manoj Jha was sure that the coordination among INDIA bloc partners would get manifest in the state during a nationwide bandh called by trade union workers on May 20 against decisions of labour courts. He said “The nationwide strike will highlight the rights of labourers across the country. INDIA bloc parties will stand with them in solidarity”.
Though Modi had agreed for implementation of caste census, INDIA bloc leaders are apprehensive of his attempt to dilute the basic issues. Leaders are intrigued at the sudden u-turn of Modi on this issue and basically this is the reason that they are sceptical. INDIA bloc leaders are suspicious of the approach of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on this issue. They confide that it was at his meet with Modi, that Bhagwat had suggested him to implement it. The RSS is desperate to win the OBC Tribals and Dalits. The RSS has been active among them for long and the leaders nurse the hope that a little amount of push would motivate them to disown Congress and come back to its fold.
Nevertheless INDIA bloc leaders attending the meet hold; “This issue remains important. Until a caste census is conducted, our focus will remain on the subject. We will also keep a close watch on whether the data shared is accurate”. They are confident that the Dalits, OBC and EBC would not support the saffrons as they have come to realise the futility of this. (IPA Service)
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