Opinion: Why Nitish Kumar, Lalu Yadav Resent Mamata Banerjee's Move

The INDIA meeting in Delhi on December 19 didn't go so well for the bloc with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Yadav leaving without attending the much-anticipated press conference. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge was proposed as the prime ministerial candidate for the opposition alliance by Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal. This fourth meeting of the opposition alliance was held to discuss modes of campaigning and seat-sharing for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The Janata Dal (United) of Nitish Kumar is upset at INDIA partners for not handing the post of convenor straightaway to its chief, given his experience as the longest-serving Chief Minister in the alliance. Senior JDU members have demanded that Mr Kumar be declared the PM candidate not only for his seniority but also for what they call his appeal and charisma, matching Prime Minister Narendra Modi's. Moreover, they say, Mr Kumar was the one who fronted moves that crystallised into a pan-India opposition alliance INDIA, demonstrating his commitment to fighting the BJP in the general election.

"The BJP has been trying to reject the very idea of INDIA alliance ever since its formation. That's why they are spreading rumours and counter-narratives every time. Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar are the architects of opposition unity to dismantle an undemocratic government led by BJP," says Nawal Kishore, RJD national spokesperson.

In fact, right after the fourth alliance meeting in Delhi, JDU MP Sunil Kumar Pintu, taking a swipe at the Congress and its funds crunch, said the get-together was "restricted to tea and biscuits without samosa and without any discussions on any serious issue".

For context, Mr Pintu had praised PM Modi's leadership after the BJP's win in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.         

Apparently, the reason behind Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav's sulk is West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who proposed Mr Kharge's name as the opposition's prime ministerial candidate for 2024. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seconded the proposal. Mr Kharge said the alliance should first concentrate on winning elections; the PM pick could be decided later. Sources say both Ms Banerjee and Mr Kejriwal named Mr Kharge, believing that as a Dalit face, he could help the alliance pull in Scheduled Caste votes.

However, KC Tyagi, the JDU's national spokesperson, said, "Neither Nitish Kumar nor Lalu Yadav or our parties have publicly proposed any motion favouring Mr Kumar as the convenor of INDIA alliance or its Prime Ministerial face. Even in the Mumbai meeting of the INDIA bloc, it was not discussed."  

Expressing surprise at Ms Banerjee's move, Mr Tyagi said, "I don't know how Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal proposed Mr Kharge's name. In our opinion, we should jointly focus on winning the magic number of 272 seats and then meet to decide on who will be Prime Minister."

Sources say it was at Lalu Yadav's instance that Mamata Banerjee pitched and Mr Kejriwal backed Mr Kharge's name. It was a strategic move aimed at two targets, they say. First, Lalu Yadav wanted to cut down Mr Kumar politically. Secondly, the BJP wanted a Modi versus Rahul Gandhi fight, which would have been a predictable no-brainer. Lalu Yadav, sources say, wants it to be a Modi versus Kharge showdown.

The JDU has announced a national executive meeting in Delhi on December 29. It has called its national council meeting on the same day; Mr Kumar may address the party amid fresh rumblings. Sources say Mr Kumar may open up about his displeasure with the INDIA alliance in the meeting and even chalk out a new course for himself and the party.

The INDIA was silent for a while and Mr Kumar too had voiced his frustration at the soporific pace of strategy in the bloc until recently. The Congress and the Samajwadi were busy fighting each other in assembly elections, both apparently forgetting their shared pledge from three previous meetings. Perhaps seeing himself as the face of the alliance, Mr Kumar actively pursued the INDIA alliance's cause, addressing a rally in Jharkhand last month. He is also scheduled to hold a public meeting in an assembly segment that falls in PM Modi's parliamentary constituency Varanasi. Other than Uttar Pradesh, Mr Kumar was also looking at travelling to Maharashtra and Haryana for rallies, on the invitation of caste-based federations. These plans may just fade away after the latest INDIA meeting.

The Congress is yet to recover from its 1: 3 drubbing in recent state elections, and its monumental loss of stature. Its bargaining power among opposition parties has nosedived. As a result, the other parties have started asserting themselves more. Mr Kharge's name is one such gimmick. Mr Yadav wants his son, Tejashwi Yadav, the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, to replace Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister. After betrayals in the past, Mr Yadav has a trust deficit when it comes to Mr Kumar.

"The perception was that Mr Kumar will be the PM face or convenor of the INDIA alliance. His party members wanted him to be PM. Similarly, people in the RJD want Tejashwi Yadav to be the chief ministerial face of the 'Mahagathbandhan' or INDIA alliance," says Ravi Upadhyay, a senior journalist from Bihar.

The JDU council meeting, featuring more than 200 members, must be keenly watched by both the ruling NDA and the INDIA bloc if only to see what Mr Kumar says. The lack of cohesion within the INDIA bloc has already started manifesting. Every party in the bloc has its own agenda. They are aware that divided they fall; individually they are weak and coming together is an imperative. In the absence of a strong narrative, their campaign is unlikely to ruffle the ruling party.  

(Bharti Mishra Nath is a senior journalist)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.