Will Nitish accomplish his vision of countering BJP?

New Delhi: In deciding the Rajya Sabha candidate, there has been an amazing ‘check-mate’ politics going on between the BJP and its ally JDU in Bihar. JDU leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had given a very clear indication that he is not going to give ticket to the Union Minister and Rajya Sabha MP of his party - RCP Singh. Then there was talk that BJP can give ticket to RCP, but the BJP did not want to upset Nitish under any circumstances. The BJP was apprehensive that Nitish was betting on the BJP on the pretext of RCP and if the BJP took any step in response, Nitish might once again go with the RJD. That is why BJP too ignored RCP.

Despite this, BJP took care of politics and gave ticket to Shambhu Sharan Patel. Shambhu Sharan Patel is not an old leader associated with any Sangh or BJP, rather he was earlier in JDU. But his most striking feature is that he comes from the Dhanuk caste, which is similar to the Kurmi caste of both the CM and RCP. The majority of the population in the Kurmi community is of Dhanuks. BJP played a gamble by giving ticket from a member of that community. Nitish Kumar countered BJP’s move and gave ticket to JDU’s Jharkhand president Khiru Mahto. He is also Kurmi and will work for the politics of around 17 per cent Kurmi population of Jharkhand. BJP practices Kurmi politics in Jharkhand through its ally Sudesh Mahto’s AJSU. Now JDU has also played its hand there.