CM Nitish, Rahul Gandhi and Lalu Prasad respectively.
– Photo: Amar Ujala
Expansion
Why is the country’s largest party, which won only one seat in Bihar in the Lok Sabha elections 2019, in the most politically active state after five years? Why is this the condition in Bihar despite the coalition formed in the name of opposition unity against Prime Minister Narendra Modi proving itself to be the most effective in India? Why are both the regional parties of Bihar not giving importance to him? Even the top leadership of Congress is not able to answer this question. Events are happening one after the other and the bad situation of Congress is visible everywhere.
Let’s talk about Rahul Gandhi first
On June 12, 2023, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called a meeting of opposition parties. Then came the information about the absence of Congress’s number one leader Rahul Gandhi and party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge. After this, Rashtriya Janata Dal President Lalu Prasad Yadav also came forward in this campaign. The meeting on 23 June was successful and Kharge also attended it along with Rahul. Before the meeting, Bharatiya Janata Party was repeatedly raising the issue of groom of opposition unity and during the press conference after the meeting, Lalu had told Rahul Gandhi that we are ready to become a wedding procession, you get married, become the groom. Before this meeting, CM Nitish Kumar had assured Congress that the cabinet will be expanded. When Rahul came, he talked about increasing the number of ministers from Congress quota by two. Meaning, Congress will have four ministers instead of two. June to December passed, but despite raising the issue several times, State Congress President Akhilesh Prasad Singh could not get two more ministers from his party. When, despite talks with Rahul Gandhi, no agreement was reached within seven-six months, then Congress should have understood that it will have to see the same thing in the Lok Sabha seats also.
Now what should Congress do on what it is seeing?
Congress needs 10-11 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar to field candidates. JDU has clearly told him that he is not effective in Bihar. Only one seat could be won in the last election. He has to talk to RJD which has zero MPs. JDU is in alliance with RJD. RJD and other parties including Congress. The question arises that when we are talking about Indi Alliance, has JDU not clearly told Congress by saying all this? Actually this is the point. Nitish Kumar himself has repeatedly broken the spirit of Congress. When Nitish took a dig at Congress’s busy schedule in five assembly elections, the veterans had to bow down. As soon as the results showed their fate, the Congress stalwarts remembered the words of CM Nitish Kumar and then there was an urgency to hold the meeting of Indi Alliance immediately. Meaning, it is clear that Congress has nothing to do now. If it wants to contest elections against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the basis of opposition unity, it will have to stick to the method laid down by CM Nitish. State Congress leaders are refraining from saying anything on this. All we are saying is that everything is fine in Indi Alliance and all the parties will sit together and decide on seat sharing.