Mandu forces JD (U) in a review

VIJAY DEO JHA

RANCHI

Mandu assembly by-election is unlikely to spring any soothing electoral surprise for the JD (U), but clash with the BJP over support issue has forced the leadership for a radical restructuring of the party in Jharkhand including a review of relationship with the BJP.

The sentiment is not limited among the State leadership including state JD (U) president and party candidate Khiru Mahto, rather it is backed by the Bihar JD (U) leadership that mostly controls the party in Jharkhand.

“Off course, we are concerned about Jharkhand JD (U), in terms of alliance with the BJP and its organizational structure. We never expected the BJP to part ways with us in Mandu. The JD (U) has the alliance with the BJP at the national level we will be happy to remain out of the alliance in Jharkhand if we can’t remain a friend…and this is precisely what we are going to say to the national leadership after the result,” Bihar JD (U) MLA and state JD (U) co-in-charge Sharavan Kumar said. 

The Bihar JD (U) that a week back was more engrossed in the Lokha assembly by-election in Bihar put the Mandu by-poll on the priority list, quite suddenly. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will pepper-up the poll campaign by agreeing to address two rallies in Mandu on Sunday. He has already dispatched two of his trusted colleagues Shravan Kumar and minister in his government Narendra Singh for Mandu.

Sources close to Nitish though confided that Nitish is playing politically coy over this issue. “He is aware of the rout and ravage of the party in Jharkhand. But, the way the BJP dishonoured the alliance despite knowing that the party president has been contesting, has indeed angered him. He will be in Mandu not merely for campaign but for confidence sake also. We are not in a position to bargain in Jharkhand but certainly not a beggar,” a party insider said.

The state BJP has tactically decided to keep Chief Minister Arjun Munda and its senior leaders off the Mandu, on Sunday, to avert any face-off with Nitish. The BJP-JD (U) relation further worsened in the wake of the Mandu by-election after leaders of both the parties fired salvo against each other over the matter of support. The BJP seems to be caught in the intricacy of its own arguments behind not supporting —local sentiments opposed any support and the decision was taken by the Central BJP leadership.

“After elections are over the JD (U) will raise this matter in the NDA meeting to get at least a convincing reply from the BJP for not supporting us. Was it the decision of Delhi or Ranchi we should have been explained. I can understand the circumstances under which the BJP sided with the JMM in Mandu which the BJP might like to state,” said party’s national general secretary Javed Raza told over telephone from Delhi.

Even if the BJP took politically correct step to support the JMM it erred substantially.  It unconsciously became the victim of JD (U)’s angered reaction just the day BJP announced support to the JMM and let loose some of its robust lungs in media war with the JD (U). “The best way for the BJP would have been to let JD (U) fume and frown at us and pacify them later rather than indulging in a public spat,” a senior BJP leader said.

When the question of alliance in Jharkhand has just been caught in the wind of faithful and unfaithful quotient the JD (U) is prompt enough to place certificate. “If Nitish flagged off the Rath Yatra of BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani over black money and corruption he did it despite it was BJP’s programme because it involved a national issue. BJP is beseeching new ally like AIDMK on the national level but loosing fast one such in Jharkhand,” a senior JD (U) leader said.