PATNA: It’s not very common for the former Congress president and presently the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, to visit Bihar four times in the last five months. But he did. And he has to. After all, he is making his bit possible to infuse a new lease of life into the moribund Congress, which has been out of power in Bihar since March 1990.
And if Rahul Gandhi can visit the poll-bound State multiple times, can Prime Minister Narendra Modi be far behind? He, too, is slated to address a rally in Bihar’s Rohtas district, bordering his Lok Sabha constituency—Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh—on May 30.
This will be Modi’s third visit to Bihar this year. The last one was on April 24 in Madhubani, just two days after the terror attack in Pahalgam, where he chose to give a stern message to the world. “Those who unleashed a reign of terror in Pahalgam and killed the innocents will be identified, traced and punished in such a manner that it will be beyond their imagination,” Modi told the gathering on April 24, amid surcharged emotions.
WHY BIHAR?
Aware of the fact that Bihar is the only State in the Hindi heartland where the BJP has failed to have its chief minister so far (despite having a BJP chief minister — from Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Maharashtra in the west and Haryana in the north to Karnataka in the south a few years back), Modi chose Bihar to send a message across the globe.
By May 7, Modi had fulfilled what he had promised to the world from the land of Bihar. The Indian defence forces had destroyed and decimated the breeding ground for terrorists in Pakistan and PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir), thereby generating patriotic fervour and sentiments of emotional unity throughout the country.
The BJP knows very well that it presently has the sole mass leader in the name of Modi, who could fetch them votes and help retain power. The saffron camp has meticulously planned Modi’s rally in Bihar on May 30, where the prime minister is likely to set the ball rolling for Bihar elections by addressing the gathering and reminding them how he punished the neighbouring country, which provided tacit support to all those who indulged in terror activities in India.
STRONG LEADERSHIP
“Basically, people want a strong Prime Minister and a decisive Government that could think out of the box, go an extra mile to take risks and do every bit to protect the unity and integrity of the country. ‘Operation Sindoor’ is one such classic example of strong and decisive leadership,” said political commentator Ajay Kumar. The social scientist dwelt at length on how Operation Sindoor would fetch the BJP rich electoral dividends when the State goes to polls in October and November this year.
While the Congress is still riding piggyback on the RJD and still discussing the nitty-gritty of seat-sharing among the INDIA bloc allies, the BJP is in an advantageous position in Bihar with its chief poll campaigner, Modi as a strong PM, Nitish as a weak CM and the saffron cadres’ morale at an all-time high.
LAST LESSON
“The BJP this time is taking nothing for chance. Last time during the 2020 Assembly elections, when Modi and Nitish were together and Lalu was languishing in the Ranchi jail (following his conviction in the fodder scam), the RJD still emerged as the single largest party in the 243-member House,” noted the political commentator.
“Although Tejashwi Yadav then couldn’t form the Government as he was wafer-thin short of the majority as his alliance partner—the Congress—could win only 19 seats out of the 70 it contested,” he pointed out.
“The BJP, which emerged as the second largest party in 2020, would like to romp home in the 2025 polls with a clear mandate and form a government on its own (despite public posturing of taking Nitish along). With Modi (and an emotionally surcharged sentiment) by its side, the tide could eventually turn in favour of the saffron camp,” explained.
