look news india
Whenever there is discussion on sensitive and ideological issues like Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the political scenario of the country, the equations of restrictions and alliances between all the regional and national parties of the country start changing rapidly. These days, there is once again a sensational upheaval in the politics of Bihar, because Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has given such a sharp and strategic political statement regarding Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s party Janata Dal United (JDU) which has surprised even the political pundits. RJD alleges that in the name of the UCC law to be brought by the Central Government, a planned preparation is going on to indirectly ‘saffronize’ Nitish Kumar completely i.e. to completely merge him into the Hindutva ideology of BJP. In the politics of Bihar, the image of Nitish Kumar has always been that of a secular and socialist leader, who has been running the government sometimes with BJP and sometimes with RJD. In such a situation, RJD’s claim that Nitish Kumar is now losing his ideological identity is indicating a big riot in the coming political days.
Leaders of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) argue that JDU’s tacit support or wavering attitude on issues like UCC is a clear proof that the party has now become completely ideologically weak and is compromising on its old socialist principles under the pressure of BJP. The main target of RJD is to prove that Nitish Kumar’s party is no longer in a position to take any independent decision on its own and gradually a game is being played to paint him completely in saffron color, so as to make a dent in the vote bank of his core Muslims and backward classes. In a state like Bihar, where caste equation and social justice politics decide the direction of electoral victory or defeat, accusing any leader of ideological reversal is considered to be the biggest political weapon. RJD wants to blow up this issue to show that people who used to talk big about secularism till yesterday, out of greed for power, are today supporting every agenda of BJP which is against the multicultural fabric of the country.
On the other hand, while countering these sharp attacks of RJD, senior leaders of Janata Dal United (JDU) have bluntly said that Nitish Kumar does not work under anyone’s pressure, rather he has always been a leader who follows the path of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and development with justice. JDU says that the party’s stand on UCC or any other national issue has been completely transparent and they have been strongly expressing their views in the Law Commission or related forums. However, political experts understand very well that Nitish Kumar is currently facing a big challenge to save the existence of his party and remain relevant in national politics, due to which he often has to maintain a balance on such issues which are not acceptable to his old colleagues. RJD is making this compulsion its biggest political weapon and is constantly busy propagating that Nitish Kumar is now proving unsuccessful in saving JDU and saffronisation of his party has become inevitable.
This narrative of UCC and saffronisation is going to leave a very far reaching impact in view of the upcoming elections and political upheaval in Bihar. The Muslim voters and traditional socialist voters of the state are keeping a close eye on which party stands ideologically with their interests and which one is doing opportunistic politics. Through such statements, RJD is trying to unite again in its fold the core voters of minorities and backward classes who once used to associate with Nitish Kumar in the name of good governance. If RJD succeeds in this strategy, it will be very difficult for JDU to retain its traditional vote bank. This is the reason why JDU is also now adopting an aggressive stance by raising the old issues of RJD’s nepotism and corruption so as to divert the public’s attention.
Ultimately, this political statement by RJD to ‘saffronize’ Nitish Kumar in the name of UCC is not just a statement, but it is a well-planned trumpet call for the upcoming political battle in Bihar. As the elections approach, this battle of ideological and caste equations will become more intense. The public has now become very intelligent and they know very well which party’s objective is actually public interest and whose objective is only to make political gains. Who wins in this political battle and who prevails over whom, only time will decide, but it is certain that the heat in the politics of Bihar is going to increase further.