Chhath Brings Political Lull In Poll-Bound Bihar

Poll-bound Bihar braces for a fresh round of hectic political developments beginning Tuesday, when the opposition INDIA bloc is scheduled to come up with its manifesto, a day ahead of the commencement of campaign by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

The state witnessed a day of relative lull on account of Chhath festivities, which would conclude with 'arghya' offerings to the Sun God on Tuesday morning.

Most leaders, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav and Union minister Chirag Paswan spent the day at their homes, observing the state's most popular festival with their families.

Yadav, who has been named the chief ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc, however, came out with a Facebook live late in the evening, charging the Narendra Modi government with having 'lied to the people' that 12,000 trains would be run to meet the festive rush.

Displaying videos of heavily crowded trains and stations on his laptop, Yadav said, 'We never saw such a mess in the past. So, where are the 12,000 trains? I would urge my brethren who have returned home from far-off places to celebrate Chhath, do not go back after enjoying thekua (a delicacy made of flour and jaggery). Stay put till the day of polls and vote for a change.'

Speculation is rife that during the release of the manifesto, some other political announcements could be made, like a Deputy CM from the minority community if the RJD, Congress and Left combine won the elections.

Earlier, when Yadav was named the chief ministerial candidate, it was also announced that Mukesh Sahni, whose Vikassheel Insan Party is the newest entrant to the INDIA bloc in Bihar, will be made the deputy CM. The move was said to have been aimed at wooing the Nishads, an extremely backward class, to which Sahni belongs.

However, this has evoked criticism from some sections, including the ruling NDA and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM, which is contesting a number of seats in Bihar. The INDIA bloc has been criticised for 'naming a Yadav and a Nishad but ignoring Muslims, who are greater in number than either community'.

The INDIA bloc is expected to include in its manifesto several promises that Yadav had made in the recent past, including an Act to ensure that every family has at least one member with a government job. Although the proposal has been ridiculed by the ruling NDA and Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, the RJD leader has insisted that a 'scientific study' has been done by his team to convert the promise into reality.

Other promises which people might look up to include a slew of steps for extremely backward classes announced in an 'Ati Pichhda Sankalp' (a resolution for the extremely backward classes), which was released here last month in presence of Gandhi.

The promises included a law, on the lines of SC/ST Act, that would protect the EBCs against atrocities, besides reservations in government contracts of up to Rs 25 crore for deprived castes.

Yadav was the Deputy CM when the Nitish Kumar government announced a hike in reservations for deprived castes, which later got quashed by the Patna High Court.

Although petitions challenging the order are pending before the Supreme Court, the RJD leader has been asserting that if voted to power, he would bring in fresh legislations announcing an increase in reservations, in accordance with findings of the caste survey conducted in the state.

He has also promised to follow through and plead with the Centre that the legislation be placed in Ninth Schedule so that these are protected against judicial scrutiny, like the reservation laws of Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, workers of the various constituents of the INDIA bloc, especially the RJD and the Congress, who had been in disarray following the delay in arriving at seat-sharing arrangements, hope to achieve cohesion in the days to come with Gandhi slated to share the stage with Yadav on Wednesday when they are likely to address rallies in Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga districts.