The BJP is losing ground in poll-bound Bihar and its alliance partner JD(U) has overshadowed it in the state. An internal survey conducted by the party has set alarm bells ringing for the party, which was confident of ruling the state for another term with its alliance partner. Assembly polls in the state are scheduled in October-November this year.
The saffron party, which was hopeful of winning around atleast 62-65 seats this time, was in for a shock when its internal survey showed that the party will not win more than 30-33 seats. In the current state Assembly, the BJP has 54 members while the JD(U) with the highest number at 81 in the 243-Member-Assembly. The RJD, the principal opposition has 56 Members.
After the report was submitted and discussed with the top brass, state leaders as well as Central leadership is busy these days finding where the fault lies. State leaders have been asked to meet party cadre as often as possible and take all suggestions by them seriously, sources said.
Sources in the party disclosed one of the main reasons for this bad performance, as put by internal survey, is the recent spat between Bihar chief minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. Objecting to an advertisement carrying his photograph with Mr Modi, a Hindutva icon, Bihar chief minister had cancelled dinner which he had hosted for the BJP top brass during the BJP’s national executive in Patna.
In a major snub to Mr Modi, the Bihar chief minister also returned Kosi relief fund of Gujarat government, which came as a shock for the BJP.
Though both the BJP and JD(U) after series of deliberations brought the situation under control and maintained that the incident will not affect their alliance or individual party performance, the internal survey’s findings say otherwise.
“Our cadre was not only humiliated after the incident, they have also lost morale. Though its the BJP-JD(U) combine that is ruling the state, in reality, its only the JD(U), which is visible in the state,” said a senior BJP functionary. After the Nitish-Modi spat, a section of the BJP’s state unit had even asked central leadership to rethink about the alliance.
Sources said the survey has also revealed that a section of BJP cadre in the state, which had been working sincerely and diligently all this while to boost party’s performance, is now working for the JD(U).
A senior state BJP leader said “our cadre is really demoralised. Their only reason for helping the JD(U) is that they do not want opposition to win the polls. Nitish has done really good work for the state. Though our party also had contributed a lot, people only associate Nitish with the development works here.”