Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address three public meetings in Bihar before the announcement of the 2024 national election schedule as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership’s focus on the only heartland state where the party has been unable to form the government on its own.
The BJP lost power in Bihar, which sends the third most (40) lawmakers to Parliament, in 2022 when chief minister Nitish Kumar quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and formed the government with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and the Left parties. The NDA swept the 2019 national polls in Bihar by winning 39 seats.
Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and BJP chief JP Nadda will be among top leaders who will address rallies across Bihar. An itinerary was expected to be worked out after January 22.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav was also scheduled to visit Bihar for his felicitation at a Yadav Mahasabha (grand assembly) this month. Yadav’s elevation was seen as part of the BJP’s attempts to woo Yadavs in states such as Bihar, where they are seen as part of core RJD voters.
Bihar BJP chief Samrat Choudhary said the party has divided Bihar into 10 zones. He added top leaders will visit each before the poll schedule announcement.
Choudhary said Shah last month asked the state leaders to fan out to apprise the people of the Union government’s welfare initiatives as part of the Vikshit Bharat Sankalp Yatra (developed India resolve march).
A second BJP leader said they were watching the developments in Bihar’s ruling alliance related to seat sharing and will tweak their strategy accordingly if needed. The BJP is believed to have conducted an internal survey for each seat for a realistic assessment of the ground realities, which could be reflected in the ticket distribution.
A third leader said how things pan out remains to be seen, especially post-Ram Temple inauguration. He said Kumar has proved himself to be a master political strategist.
The third leader said nobody knows what Kumar will do next. Whatever he does will have an impact on how the state’s politics will shape up, the leader added.
Social scientist DM Diwakar said the BJP would understandably work hard in Bihar because the ruling alliance remains formidable. “The BJP is known for vigorous campaigning, and the Prime Minister often leads it when the going gets tough. The early build-up before the election is important. The ruling alliance is yet to finalise seat sharing in Bihar. This has kept the BJP interested.”
