Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar could emerge a coveted partner for the BJP after the exit of two oldest allies, Shiv Sena and Akali Dal, from the National Democratic Alliance, party insiders feel.
The Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal United now is the only credible BJP ally left in the NDA. The party is not part of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre but is the largest partner in the alliance after the BJP with 15 members in the Lok Sabha and five in the Rajya Sabha.
The exit of the Akali Dal, after the Sena snapped ties with the BJP late last year, comes as Bihar is headed for polls and seat sharing with the JDU and the LJP (Lok Janshakti Party) is still to be ironed out.
Party leaders said it is not that the BJP would get into surrender mode and let Nitish corner a large share of seats but it would certainly be more accommodative.
“We would not like to annoy Nitish for some seats. But he too is aware that he needs the BJP and this will get things sorted out,” one BJP leader said.
Although the exit of the two oldest and trusted allies is being seen as a big blow to the BJP, internally, the party feels the Akalis had turned into a baggage.
“Alliances are formed on the basis of give and take. The Akali Dal had ceased to be of any benefit to the BJP, electorally,” a BJP leader said. This leader said the Akali Dal had turned unpopular and was not able to transfer its votes to the BJP.
On this count, Nitish still continues to be a credible face and a vote catcher, despite 15 years of anti-incumbency, BJP managers feel.
“The BJP still doesn’t have a leader in Bihar to match Nitish,” another BJP leader said.
Despite acknowledging Nitish’s importance, most Bihar leaders of the party feel his popularity was on the wane and that comes as an opportunity for the BJP to dominate and spread wings in Bihar.
“At a meeting almost all Bihar leaders advocated that the BJP and the JDU should contest an equal number of seats,” a BJP leader said. The BJP has always been a junior ally to Nitish in Bihar.
After the exit of the Akali Dal and the intensifying farmers’ agitation, the central leadership may not take a rigid stand and allow Nitish to dominate, BJP insiders said.
“We need to win handsomely in Bihar to shatter the negative perception due to the farmers’ protest and exit of the Akalis,” one BJP MP said, stressing the importance of Nitish.
The JDU could also be invited to join the Modi government with some key portfolios, according to some BJP leaders. Nitish had earlier rebuffed the BJP’s offer of just one minister as a “symbolic” representation.
BJP leaders said the growth of the party under the leadership of Narendra Modi had naturally made their allies jittery about their survival.
“Why did the Shiv Sena leave? Because they saw that the BJP was usurping its vote base,” one leader said.
The BJP, party leaders said, had emerged out of the dependence on allies phase under the leadership of Modi, particularly after the massive 2019 Lok Sabha mandate.
“In state polls, however, we still need to tread carefully and wait for an opportune time,” a newly appointed BJP general secretary said, indicating a churn in Bihar politics post the October-November polls.
