The Congress-RJD-Left combine has suddenly become upbeat about the election result in Bihar because they believe the “dubious strategy” of the BJP aimed at hurting the prospects of Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United would damage the ruling alliance in entirety, multiplying the adverse effects of anti-incumbency factor.

Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders intend to highlight the “hidden agenda” of the BJP to restrict the JDU’s tally to ensure that Nitish can be ousted from the chief minister’s office.

While they believe Nitish had clearly lost the charisma that provided the decisive edge to any coalition because of the fatigue factor setting in after 15 years, they also insist the mismanagement of Covid-19 and lockdown demolished the myth of his administrative skills.

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed told The Telegraph: “Nitish is definitely facing image crisis in this election. While the betrayal of the mandate given by the people in 2015 had already dented his moral authority, Nitish now holds no promise for the future. So is the case with Narendra Modi.

“People have seen through his hollow promises. After all, Modi’s failures — from economy to unemployment — has hurt Hindus also. It will be difficult for him to fool the voters now.”

Ahmed added: “Coupled with this negative sentiment is the bad strategy of the BJP. People realise the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) candidates are actually the BJP candidates. This will create a huge confusion and prove to be a self-defeatist strategy.

“While the forward castes won’t vote for the LJP as aggressively the BJP would hope for, the JDU voters too will not take this dubious game kindly. They ultimately may not support the BJP if they realise this game of hurting Nitish Kumar. Such cunning strategies rarely succeed on the ground.”

RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha said: “The BJP is definitely operating at two levels.

There is a direct alliance with the JDU and there is an indirect alliance with the LJP. Voters of Bihar have never seen such Machiavellian tricks. This will show in results. While we know voters have made up their mind for change, it is also now clear that the BJP doesn’t want to see Nitish Kumar as chief minister again.”

The emergence of a third front, which includes so called secular forces like Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), has also not rattled the RJD-Congress as they believe voters will see through this hidden agenda as well.

Congress leaders insist that Mayawati and Owaisi both are working to help the BJP and their operations will fail here as Bihari voters are more political than other states where such strategies succeeded.

While Owaisi damaged the Congress-NCP in Maharashtra, Mayawati has played this game in states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Mayawati has announced the BSP’s plan to contest all 28 seats in the Madhya Pradesh by-election. The BSP usually avoids contesting by-elections even in its native Uttar Pradesh. Their Grand Democratic Secular Front got some muscles as Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) also joined them after quitting the RJD-led alliance.

Asked about Owaisi’s politics, Shakeel Ahmed said: “His intention is clear as he contested just eight seats in his home state Telangana to ensure that Muslim votes are not divided as that would help the BJP. But he contested 44 seats in Maharashtra and planned to contest over 40 in Bihar.

“Also, he talks of Muslim unity and relies on religion to mobilise support. How can anybody question BJP’s Hindu politics if he or she supports politics in the name of Muslims? The Congress opposed the divisive politics of Jinnah and we still oppose the Owaisi brand politics. Even Muslims should ponder over this.”

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, who has been given the charge to look after media in Bihar election, said: “Be it Nitish Kumar, Modi, Mayawati or Owaisi… people now understand their reality and their dubious games. Voters have seen enough of them and now it will be difficult to fool the people.”

“Bihar election will prove that insincerity and non-performance will be punished by the voters. We have no doubt that voters are itching to punish every leader who betrayed their trust,” he said.