What were the reasons that Nitish Kumar, who comes from a numerically insignificant community in Bihar, not only managed to end Lalu’s misrule but has successfully sustained it for years?
Probably, it was the rise of Nitish, against the dynasty in Bihar, that came as the biggest strength for JD(U). Lalu, in the garb of social justice, nurtured his family tree and resorted to rampant corruption, and this was the sole reason Nitish Kumar always had an upper hand against Lalu Prasad Yadav in the rugged political turf of Bihar.
This despite the fact that the Kurmi community to which Nitish Kumar belongs is a little less than 3 percent of the Bihar’s total population, compared to a numerically strong Lalu’s Yadav community that accounts for around 14 per cent of the state’s population.
While Lalu throughout his political career promoted his one family member after another, Nitish Kumar always kept a low profile of his family, keeping them away from active politics.
And this is where Nitish Kumar keeps hurting the Lalu family the most. As the election fervour picks up in Bihar, Janata Dal (United) leader and CM Nitish Kumar, yet again, a day back, attacked Lalu Prasad Yadav for promoting dynastic politics.
In a veiled attack, Nitish Kumar reminded the people of Bihar the days when RJD supremo stepped down after his involvement in the fodder scam cases. “Lalu ji then decided to appoint his wife, Rabri Devi as Chief Minister. If he wanted, he could have appointed some dedicated party worker as Chief Minister”, Nitish pointed out, adding that Lalu only cared for his family and not for the people of Bihar.
Nitish Kumar, who was addressing the crowd at the launch of the state’s Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, also made a point that we, referring to NDA leaders, do not just look after our families. We work for the whole of Bihar.”
Both Lalu Prasad & Nitish Kumar, who have risen with the rise of backward caste politics in India, take inspiration from Jannayak & Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur for his philosophy of social justice. Only some time back, when NDA government announced Bharat Ratna of Karpoori Thakur, Nitish reminded Lalu that the late leader was strongly against dynastic politics and never brought his family members into politics till he was alive, and it was only after his death that his son Ramnath Thakur entered politics.
But Lalu has a history of promoting his family. He even used his influence to further his children’s professional careers, and if that was not enough, he later promoted them brazenly in politics. He sidelined even his own community leaders, like Ramkripal Yadav and others, to ensure a successful political career for his children. That is different things that Lalu’s children are now fighting among theselves for political power in the family.
Tejashwi Yadav, now heir apparent to Lalu, is now finding it hard to shed the family tag which his family has in the wake of constant attacks of both JD(U) and BJP over his dynasty politics. He may charge Nitish of errant behaviour, attributing it to his rising ag,e but Nitish Kumar will always stand as a living symbol of resistance against a corrupt dynasty that misruled Bihar for years.
