ONE STATEMENT, ONE ANSWER AND ONE CHALLENGE WHICH GAVE SANJEEVINI TO LALU’S RAJD WHICH WAS IN COMA

ONE STATEMENT, ONE ANSWER AND ONE CHALLENGE WHICH GAVE SANJEEVINI TO LALU’S RAJD WHICH WAS IN COMA

1-SPE-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA---------------------------There was a time when Nitish-BJP duo had put Lalu Prasad Yadav's party RJD in a coma-like state. RJD, which was once ruling, was reduced to 20-22 seats. But in 2015, something happened that RJD got 'Sanjeevani' without lifting 'Drona' mountain.

The 2015 assembly election was historic in many ways. For the first time after 1994, Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar came together and contested the election together. Lalu Yadav, who had become the third largest party in 2010 and was marginalized, his politics got such nourishment that he reached the top with 80 seats. Lalu Yadav started a new chapter in RJD by handing over his legacy to Tejashwi Yadav. BJP, which had entered the field relying on the miracle of Narendra Modi, was badly defeated. The election results developed a theory - if Nitish-Lalu come together, then the defeat of BJP in Bihar is certain. What was the turning point of this election?

September 2015: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat gave an interview to RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya and Organiser. At that time, Patel community in Gujarat was running a movement for reservation under OBC quota. In this regard, Mohan Bhagwat had said in the interview, 'Reservation policy should be reviewed. For this, a non-political committee should be formed which should investigate how long reservation is needed.' This statement of Mohan Bhagwat had nothing to do with Bihar. But its timing was wrong. Assembly elections were to be held in Bihar in five phases from October 12. This statement came just before that. It was as if Lalu Yadav, a seasoned player of politics, had hit the jackpot. He grabbed this issue immediately. Then he cashed in on this issue so much that the Mahagathbandhan's bag was filled with votes. This statement of Mohan Bhagwat was the turning point of the 2015 elections due to which the defeat of BJP and victory of Mahagathbandhan was decided.

To create an atmosphere of forward-backward in the elections, Lalu Yadav presented Mohan Bhagwat's statement in an exaggerated manner. Mohan Bhagwat had only expressed his personal opinion of review. He was not even a person associated with the government. But Lalu Yadav started propagating that the Sangh and BJP want to end reservation. Calling BJP anti-reservation, Lalu Yadav attacked NDA. Lalu Yadav tweeted on 21 September 2015 (now X) 'You talk of ending reservation, we will increase it in proportion to the population. If you have drunk mother's milk then end it, you will know who has how much power.' After this, Lalu Yadav made another tweet in which he directly targeted Narendra Modi. He wrote, 'The so-called tea seller and recently backward Modi should tell whether he will end reservation on the orders of his master Bhagwat?'

When Mohan Bhagwat said this, no one had any idea that the matter would become so big. But Lalu Yadav made the question of reservation a burning issue by giving provocative statements every day. BJP distanced itself from this statement of Mohan Bhagwat, gave clarification but the atmosphere did not change. Lalu Yadav united all the backward people by repeating the era of Mandalism. At the same time, in a crowded meeting, Lalu Prasad Yadav added fuel to the fire by saying that 'this is a fight between backward versus forward.' Minorities were already ready to defeat BJP. When two phases of voting were completed on 12 and 17 October, it was felt that the Mahagathbandhan has gone ahead of NDA. After this, three phases of voting were to be held after the Dussehra and Muharram holidays. On Dussehra, Mohan Bhagwat tried to change the situation by making a statement in support of reservation in the RSS program, but by then it was too late. The unity of the backward classes ensured the defeat of the BJP.

There was another reason for the defeat of the BJP. Prashant Kishore's arrival as the election strategist of the Mahagathbandhan proved to be a burden for the BJP. Although Prashant Kishore's services were originally taken by Nitish Kumar, later he prepared the election strategy for the entire Mahagathbandhan. Prashant Kishore had coined a slogan - Bihar mein bahar hai, Nitishe Kumar hai. This slogan became so popular that it became the voice of the people. This slogan was also made into a song and made into a mobile tone. From the city to the villages, whenever a mobile rang, the song would start resonating - Bihar mein bahar hai, Nitishe Kumar hai. Prashant Kishore conducted a survey in the entire Bihar, on the basis of the feedback received from it, tickets were given to the leaders so that winning candidates could be selected. Prashant Kishore also decided the tours and programs of the leaders. Prashant Kishor has recently revealed that even Tejashwi Yadav could not become deputy CM without his consent. He even played an important role in the selection of cabinet ministers. The names on which he disagreed could not become ministers.

NDA also suffered losses because it contested the elections without a CM face. On the other hand, the Mahagathbandhan contested the elections by declaring Nitish Kumar as the CM candidate. The public was confused that if they support NDA, who will become the Chief Minister? If there is a rift in the NDA on the question of CM, the government will remain unstable. Whereas there was no doubt about Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumar was a tried and tested Chief Minister. The public chose the certain, leaving the uncertain.