The Bihar political landscape had taken a big upheaval by joining of Nitish Kumar to the BJP led NDA. Nitish Kumar and the BJP are complementary to each other. For first time Nitish Kumar went to seat adjustment with the BJP in 1996 Lok Sabha elections. Since then Nitish Kumar party and the BJP contested 1998, 1999, 2004, 2009 & 2019 LS elections as partners in complete harmony with each other.
These two parties contested five Assembly elections in 2000, two Assembly elections in 2005, 2010 & in 2020 as partners. Whenever these two parties contested elections the RJD team bite the dust only barring 2004 LS poll.
In 2010 Bihar Assembly elections the RJD was relegated to 22 seats. Laloo Yadav wife & ex-CM Rabri Devi lost from two seats in 2010 Bihar Assembly elections. Even Ramvilas Paswan who gone in alliance with Lalu Yadav in 2010 Assembly elections won only three seats.
Lalu Yadav family performance in electoral arena is not enthusiastic. Even his daughter Misa Bharti is in Rajya Sabha MP after losing from Patliputra Lok Sabha seat twice in 2014 and in 2019 LS polls. As part of NDA Sharad Yadav defeated Laloo Yadav from his stronghold seat of Madhepura in 1999 LS poll. In 2009 LS poll the JDU candidate Ranjan Yadav defeated Laloo Yadav from newly formed Patliputra LS seat. The family is losing from the seat for last three terms.
In 2019 LS poll LJP, JD-U& the BJP together won 39 out of 40 LS seats in Bihar. Lalu Yadav’s RJD was not able to open its account in Bihar in 2019 LS poll. In 2019 LS poll the NDA established lead on 223 assembly segments only leaving 20 ACs for others to take lead. Even in 2014 LS poll when JDU and the BJP contested separately even then the joint vote share of the NDA and the JDU was on leading position on 228 ACs. So whenever either of Lok Sabha or of Assembly elections the BJP and the JDU become major force.
In 2019 LS poll the UPA only won Muslim dominated Kishanganj LS seat in right. On this seat the Congress party contested against JD-U. The Congress Party had minimum role in Bihar politics. The Congress Party sensed its marginal role in Bihar & Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra gave half of time to Bihar than Assam though BIhar has three times number of Lok Sabha Seats than that of Assam. Rahul Gandhi toured districts of Araria, Purnia, Kishanganj in Seemanchal region and Sasaram. First three districts are known for minority domination. Sensing its Muslim domination Owaisi fought 2020 Assembly elections from the region & won 5 seats too. Though 4 of the 5 MLAs were lured by Tejaswi Yadav& Owaisi left with only one MLA.
By his Bihar BJNY itinerary Rahul Gandhi clearly demonstrated that they only consider themselves Party of Seemanchal only. Only Kishanganj seat is left with the Congress party. In 2019 LS poll when Rahul Gandhi was looking for additional seat than Amethi, Kishanganj LS seat was also in reckoning with Wayanad seat too. Since early 2000s the Congress party in Bihar is in grip and at mercy of Laloo Yadav and the RJD. Even Lalu Yadav mentioned that lone Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar, Mr Akhilesh Prasad Singh, is an MP due to his interference and personal relationship with Sonia Gandhi. In order to appease Lalu Yadav the Congress party completely toed Lalu Yadav line of politics. Now Lalu Yadav one-sidedly decides seat for the Congress party within the alliance.
Not only that but Lalu Yadav also suggests candidates to the Congress party. Finally the Congress party is pawn in hands of Lalu Yadav in Bihar. Bihar Congress leaders have two masters to serve one is the Gandhi family in Delhi and other is the Lalu Yadav clan in Patna.
Now after Nitish Kumar joining the NDA the alliance is all set to repeat its 2019 LS poll performance with likely win of Kishanganj LS seat too. The voters of these two parties the BJP and JDU have long term joint voting orientation. These two voters never ditched their partners. In 2009 LS poll Ramvilas trailed on Raghopur assembly seat which falls in his Hajipur Lok Sabha seat. Rabri Devi was MLA from Raghopur seat at that time though Paswan trailed on the seat. So personal intimacy between the voters of the NDA alliance especially of BJP and JDU is beyond doubt.
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