Nitish playing BJP game on RCP

The unceremonious exit of former Union Steel minister, Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, from his own party, Janata Dal (United), on August 6 reminded one of the developments which took place in the run-up to the July 7, 2021 Narendra Modi cabinet reshuffle.

The trouble for Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar started whenPM Modi, in a dexterous move, made RCP a minister when the Janata Dal (United) was demanding at least two or three berths. The whole exercise was a part of the well-planned strategy of the BJP, to drive a wedge between the then national president of the JD(U) and Bihar chief minister, who is the undisputed supremo of the party. The latter was left fuming as he at least wanted Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lallan Singh, also to be accommodated in the Union cabinet. When this did not happen Nitish replaced RCP with Lallan as the party chief. What happened on August 6 was the natural corollary of those eventful weeks in mid-2021. RCP was virtually shown the door when on May 29 last the party dropped his name as the Rajya Sabha candidate. His second term in the Upper House was to expire on July 7. Thus he had to quit from the Modi cabinet on July 6, that is exactly one year after serving in the Union ministry.

The irony is that when all these games were being played by the BJP in Delhi in summer last year, some senior journalists were showering praise on the political acumen of Nitish Kumar. While appearing in different television channels they were crediting Nitish for causing split in the six-member LJP parliamentary party. The fact was that Nitish had nothing to do with this revolt in the Lok Janshakti Party as he was himself confronting a different type of challenge posed by the BJP.

It needs to be mentioned that in mid-June last year five out of the six Lok Janshakti Party MPs ditched the party chief Chirag Paswan and claimed that they are the real LJP. The leader of this faction was Pashupati Kumar Paras, uncle of Chirag, and the lone surviving brother of late Ram Vilas Paswan. These above-mentioned Bihar-watchers were of the view that Nitish had taken revenge from Chirag when the fact was that it was the BJP which was busy engineering split simultaneously in the LJP and JD(U).

Actually both Chirag and Nitish were left high and dry. Notwithstanding displeasure from Chirag and Nitish, Modi inducted Paras and RCP in his team on July 7 last year. While Chirag was totally marginalized, Nitish was at least in the position to cut the stature of RCP within the party. But that was not at all going to harm him as the latter enjoyed full support of none else but the Prime Minister.

The BJP subsequently groom RCP as he was not only from Nitish Kumar’s home turf of Nalanda, but also come from his caste, Kurmi. As a former IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre and Principal Secretary of Nitish, RCP was among the most trusted lieutenant of the Janata Dal (United) boss.

Just like in Maharashtra, where old friend Shiv Sena was split, all out efforts are being made to wean away maximum number of JD(U) legislators under the banner of RCP. Though technically he was in the JD(U) till August 6, in all practical purposes he was a BJP man. As reported earlier he was warmly greeted at Hyderabad airport by the BJP workers and supporters when he landed there on the occasion of the national executive of the
saffron party on July 2-3, 2022.

Elsewhere in Bihar, slogans like “Aap ka mukhya mantra kaisa ho, Ram Chandra Babu Jaisa ho” The chief minister of Bihar should be like RCP Singh(), started rending the air. Pushed to the wall Nitish was left with no option, but to tarnish the image of his former Man Friday. A day before RCP announced his resignation a show cause notice was served to him by none else but the state unit president of the party, Umesh Kushwaha. Nitish did not use the party’s present national president, Lallan Singh, for this job.

RCP was asked to explain as to how he had amassed wealth disproportionate to his source of income. Nitish is trying to crudely play the same game which his good friends in the BJP is playing with the help of central agencies against the political opponents all over India.

If Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut is facing the music of Enforcement Directorate for the alleged illegalities committed when he and his party was the ally of the BJP, RCP is being asked to explain his source of wealth accumulated in the years when he was a blue-eyed boy of Nitish.

Only time will tell whether Nitish or RCP emerges as victorious-or may be both of them end up as losers. In the long run the ultimate gainers will either be the BJP which has 77 MLAs in Bihar or the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal which is the biggest party in the House having 80 MLAs. – INDIA NEWS STREAM