Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addresses a joint rally of the Mahagathbandhan in Purnea.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making an attempt exhausting to make inroads into Seemanchal, at present the stronghold of the Mahagathbandhan. The significance of the area could be understood from the truth that Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched his Lok Sabha marketing campaign in Bihar in September 2022 from Seemanchal and has visited Bihar thrice after the Janata Dal (United) snapped ties with the BJP in August 2022.
In response, the Mahagathbandhan, which contains seven events, held a rally in Purnea district of Seemanchal on February 25 on the Rangbhoomi Maidan, the identical place from the place Mr. Shah launched his marketing campaign.
Seemanchal, situated in north Bihar, contains 4 districts: Purnea, Katihar, Kishanganj and Araria. In the 2019 elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) received three seats and the Congress received one within the area. At the time, the JD(U) was a part of the NDA. With the JD(U) strolling out of the NDA alliance, the Katihar and Purnea parliamentary seats are actually with the JD(U), Araria belongs to the BJP, and Kishanganj belongs to the Congress.
The 4 districts characterize 24 Assembly constituencies. Seemanchal is subsequently necessary for the 2025 Assembly polls too. For the JD(U) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), pitted in opposition to the BJP, the excessive share of Muslims (47%) could possibly be politically helpful. But now the BJP is concentrated on not solely consolidating Hindu votes but in addition wooing the Pasmanda Muslims, who represent over 80% of the Muslim inhabitants in Bihar. This is a explanation for fear for the Mahagathbandhan. The Pasmanda Muslims are the weaker sections of Muslims who transformed to Islam from the backward lessons and Dalit teams way back. The group, with poor socioeconomic circumstances and no political illustration, has been demanding Scheduled Caste (SC) standing for a very long time. The Sachar Committee Report famous that the circumstances of Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians has not improved and the Ranganath Mishra Commission really useful delinking SC standing from faith.
Apart from its outreach to the Pasmanda Muslims, the BJP has additionally alleged that there are critical points with the caste census, launched by JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar. The occasion says the format wherein the train is being carried out seems “flawed” and will probably “tamper with the citizenship register.” It alleges that the method ignores the specter of counting unlawful Bangladeshi migrants and Rohingya as Indian residents. Seemanchal is a border area, with Nepal subsequent door and Bangladesh not distant.
While the Mahagathbandhan has been saying that the BJP is resorting to a divide-and-rule coverage, Mr. Shah has warned the individuals in Valmikinagar of West Champaran district and Patna {that a} victory of the ‘grand alliance’ would make sure the return of a “Jungle Raj.” The BJP has deliberate many rallies within the days to come back within the Seemanchal area.
The Mahagathbandhan has to take care of not solely the BJP problem, but in addition take care of the Owaisi issue. The presence of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi may gain advantage the BJP because the AIMIM is anticipated to dent the vote financial institution of the Mahagathbandhan because it has executed in earlier elections and areas. The individuals of Seemanchal consider that Mr. Owaisi stands for the Muslim group. This was borne out by the 2020 Assembly polls when the AIMIM received 5 seats in Seemanchal.
“Seemanchal is considered the stronghold of the Mahagathbandhan, whereas for the BJP, it is a politically weaker area,” mentioned Sanjay Kumar, political analyst primarily based in Bihar. “The BJP is trying hard to galvanise support for the party and polarise the region, which has poor people in large numbers. It wants to make inroads into the region, which has a high concentration of the Muslim population. Moreover, it will try to set the agenda before the Lok Sabha poll that it is the party which can save the country and Hindutva.”
Whether the BJP’s technique of consolidating Hindu votes whereas additionally interesting to Pasmanda Muslims for their votes succeeds stays to be seen. But the Mahagathbandhan has to take care of each exterior and inner challenges. Against the backdrop of rumours a couple of rising rift between the JD(U) and RJD, Mr. Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav emphasised that the ‘grand alliance’ is unbroken in Bihar and is able to cease the juggernaut of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
