look news india
After the emergence of Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraj Party in the politics of Bihar and his aggressive political activism, all the major parties of the state have started making drastic changes in their working style. Amidst this political excitement, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is moving very carefully and cautiously regarding the selection of its candidates for the upcoming Legislative Council (MLC) elections. There is intense brainstorming going on within the party as to which face should be fielded so that it does not have to face any kind of anti-incumbency or internal strife. There is a strong discussion in the political circles whether this alertness is a result of the constant political pressure situation being created by Prashant Kishor, or whether it is a part of some well-thought-out big election strategy of the NDA which will reveal its cards at the right time.
The Padyatras being run by Prashant Kishor in every corner of Bihar and the direct communication between the general public has given a boost to the traditional political parties. The strategists of a big organization like BJP are also understanding this very well that now the public is not going to vote only on the basis of caste equations, but they are looking for solid alternatives of good governance, transparency and development. This is why the party high command is closely scrutinizing the ground reports of every district of the state before making any move on an important platform like MLC elections. Amidst every move of the opposition and increasing assertiveness of Jan Suraj, BJP wants to ensure that each of its candidates proves to be completely spotless and victorious, so that it does not have to lose on any front.
A round of meetings is going on in BJP offices regarding the upcoming Legislative Council elections, but the names of the candidates have not been officially announced yet, it is proof that the party is in no mood to take any risk this time. All the ticket aspirants are busy in staking their cards from Patna to Delhi, but the central leadership and senior officials of the state are scrutinizing each name on the basis of very strict criteria. The main reason behind the delay in the list of candidates is said to be that the party wants to field only those faces who are 100 per cent satisfactory on all three parameters – caste balance, local influence and acceptance of the intellectual class. While on one hand this suspense has increased the curiosity within the party, on the other hand it has also left the opposition parties in a dilemma as to who will be the next trump card of the BJP.
Even within the NDA alliance in Bihar, mutual dialogue and coordination is going on seriously regarding seat coordination and selection of candidates. Instead of showing any haste on its own, BJP, along with its allies, is busy preparing a foolproof plan that can completely influence the final results of the elections. Political analysts believe that even though the arrival of Prashant Kishor has brought newness in the political equations, the strength of administrative experience and strong cadre base that NDA has, gives it the ability to deal with every challenge. This battle of MLC elections will give a clear indication of whether the strategy of traditional parties outweighs the new political options or whether a major upheaval is seen in the equations.
In this election, instead of relying only on the decisions of the top leadership, BJP is giving utmost priority to the feedback of grassroots level workers and local officials. The party is well aware that if there is even a slight mistake in ticket distribution, the risk of infighting can increase, which can directly benefit the opposition or new political parties. This is the reason why the background of every potential candidate, his social penetration and his image among the public are being investigated through independent agencies. This entire process shows that in the changing political scenario it is no longer possible for any party to contest elections lightly and every step is being taken in a very measured manner.