Who will challenge Modi in 2019?

New Delhi: All eyes are now on Nitish Kumar, who, if things fall in place, is all set to pose a formidable challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 elections. The former Bihar Chief Minister is expected to make a significant declaration this Sunday that would write a new chapter in the life of the JD(U) stalwart.

In the proposed JD(U) national executive meeting, Nithish Kumar is expected to take over as the party’s national president, sending a message loud and clear that the former Bihar Chief Minister is looking beyond the State borders. Also, as a rebranding process, JD(U) will soon be christened as the Jan Vikas Party, where some smaller parties like Ajit Singh’s RLD, Babulal Marandi’s JVM and other smaller outfits may merge with it.

According First Post, the idea is to make the Jan Vikas Party ‘national’, and have it recognised as a national political party by the Election Commission. If it succeeds in its plan by getting the required percentage of votes and a substantial presence in States, then it would get the recognition, which currently only the BJP and Congress have. This is the first time in his political career, spanning over four decades, Nitish Kumar is getting ready to hold a top organisational post.

Ironically, Nitish , who has been de-facto boss and practically the founder of JD(U) and erstwhile Samata Party, never held any post in either of the parties. The only time that Nitish Kumar has held any organisational post was in the 1980s, when he became president of Yuva Lok Dal in Bihar and general secretary of Janata Dal.

First Post quoted JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi, who has been tasked to organise the party’s National Executive, as saying, “There is a tremendous demand from the grassroots - both of workers and leaders - that Nitishji should now take over as the party’s president.

The demand is in consonance with his popularity, organisational capabilities and proven track record of good governance.”
“If he agrees to abide by the wishes of the party’s rank and file, our party will be immensely benefitted. It will make our task easier in propagating our cause and consolidating our support base. He advised that it would be better to wait till Sunday to see how things pan out,” Tyagi was quoted as saying.

The incumbent party chief, Sharad Yadav, is reportedly ‘expressed his desire to relinquish the post which he has been holding for last three terms or nine years to be precise’. In fact, there was a move to remove him from the top party post when organisational elections were due last time, but just ahead of the national executive and council meeting, Nitish favoured Yadav’s continuance even as the party constitution bars any one to remain president beyond two full terms.

According to First Post, the move to make Nitish as JD(U) president needs to be seen in context of three other developments - first, fulfilment of his poll promise of ‘nashabandi’ - ban on sale and consumption of liquor in Bihar; second, 35 percent reservation for women in all government jobs; and third, a move to unite JD(U) with Ajit Singh’s RLD in UP, Babulal Marandi’s JVM in Jharkhand and opening negotiations with some other smaller parties like the Peace Party, Apna Dal (faction led by Anupriya Patel’s mother Krishna Patel), Mahan Dal etc and to fight UP elections in a big way.

A senior JD(U) leader was quoted as saying: “Nitish has turned into Ashoka. And just as Ashoka had turned into Dharma and began propagating it in the third century BC after conquering Kalinga, Nitish after remaining in power for over a decade and winning Bihar for the third time has seen enough.” Like Ashoka, Nitish too rules from Patliputra (Patna), Magadh, he added.