Nitish Kumar's RS move may lead to 'ideological takeover' in Bihar politics: CPI (ML) gen secy

New Delhi, Mar 8 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to move to the Rajya Sabha could lead to an “ideological takeover” and a shift in the political discourse in the state, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said on Sunday, calling it a "betrayal of the people of Bihar".

In an interview with PTI, Bhattacharya alleged that the development signals the growing dominance of the BJP over its ally Janata Dal (United) and may alter Bihar’s political landscape.

"I think this will mean some kind of a political takeover, not just takeover of power, but also a change of discourse in Bihar and maybe North India," he said.

Calling the development a "big shock", the Left leader said the manner in which it was unfolding appeared "very disrespectful" towards Kumar.

"People of course knew that the BJP is now effectively controlling the government, but the way it is happening is a kind of disrespectful dumping of Nitish Kumar," he said.

Bhattacharya said the move could leave many voters feeling "cheated", as the alliance had sought a mandate in Kumar's name.

"They went and sought mandate in Nitish Kumar's name, another term for Nitish Kumar, and now they are just dumping him," he added.

Kumar, the JD(U) chief, on Thursday announced that he will be contesting the Rajya Sabha polls, bringing the curtains down on his tenure as the longest-serving chief minister of Bihar. His move comes months after he led the NDA to a landslide victory in the assembly elections held in November last year.

The CPI(ML) Liberation is a member of the opposition Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), which is the state-level coalition of the national INDIA Alliance. Its primary alliance partners include the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Indian National Congress (INC).

Bhattacharya further said people feel that it has been some kind of a coup, which has been engineered over a period of time from within the JD(U) around Nitish Kumar.

The Left leader alleged the development could deepen unease within the JD(U), with many in the party apprehensive about its future.

"Within JD(U), obviously they can see that this is how the party is almost being gobbled up by the BJP. So this is a power game of the BJP, and it's not going to go down well," he said.

According to Bhattacharya, although the JD(U) had been in alliance with the BJP for years, it had largely remained aligned with what he described as the "social justice camp".

"Nitish Kumar always used to say that he is not going to compromise with the communal forces... Now that will go, and that will mean complete ideological subsumption of the JD(U) by the BJP," he added.

He questioned the stated reason behind Kumar's decision to move to the Rajya Sabha, saying it was difficult to believe that it was a long-standing aspiration of the veteran leader.

"Going to Rajya Sabha cannot be some kind of a lifetime achievement award for someone who has been at the helm of affairs in Bihar for two decades," Bhattacharya said.

"At one time he was seen as a prime ministerial aspirant and now we are told Rajya Sabha was his aspiration. Nothing could be flimsier than this," he added.

The CPI(ML) Liberation leader alleged the move reflected the BJP's attempt to project its political dominance. "It shows the language of power of the BJP; they think they enjoy complete power and they can be blunt about it," he said.

Asked if the development could help opposition parties, Bhattacharya said the key issue was that the political situation had become clearer.

"The question is not whether it helps or not. This is the reality and the opposition and the people will have to come to terms with it," he said.

He also alleged that the state government had begun functioning along the lines of what he described as "bulldozer rule". "Demolitions have started, land acquisition is going on... Women have never before felt this insecure like in Bihar today," he claimed.

Bhattacharya said issues such as unemployment, rural employment and social justice could trigger wider political mobilisation in the state. "Bihar is very sensitive and alive to the agenda of social justice. I can see a greater churning among the people on these issues," he said.

On the possibility of leadership change in the state, he said the transition might not be smooth, especially if the BJP tried to install its own chief minister. "There is already a lot of disquiet within the JDU. If the BJP wants to impose its own chief minister, I'm sure it's not going to be smooth at all. It may be quite rough," he said. PTI AO OZ OZ OZ