NDA aims to woo Nishads after VIP leaves Gaura Bauram for RJD
BJP criticizes VIP for withdrawing support from a Nishad candidate in Bihar, claiming it betrays the community's interests while aiming to woo voters.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took a swipe at its former ally Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) for withdrawing its candidate from the Gaura Bauram seat and extending its support to expelled Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Afzal Ali Khan, saying the Mukesh Sahani-led party has let down the Nishad community.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, which is making a concerted effort to retain power in Bihar, has cited the Gaura Bauram seat as an example of the Mahagathbandhan, of which VIP is also a part, overlooking the interests and political aspirations of Nishads (fishermen community) and is hopeful of wooing the community, leaders aware of the details said.
In 2020, the VIP contested the Bihar assembly elections as an ally of the NDA and was given 11 seats to contest, of which it won four seats — Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Gaura Bauram, Alauli and Balinagar.
“The seat (Gaura Bauram) is a stronghold of the Nishads and it was expected that Mukesh Sahani (VIP chief) would contest from here. After he decided not to contest and gave the ticket to his brother Santosh Sahani, the RJD also announced a candidate for the seat, although the parties are allies…now Sahani has withdrawn and this has not gone down well with the Nishads,” a BJP leader said.
Even after the RJD expelled Khan for six years for not toeing the party line and withdrawing in favour of Sahani’s brother, the VIP leaders chose to go ahead with lending support to him. Santosh Sahani withdrew his nomination from the Gaura Bauram seat in Darbhanga district.
“It is strange that the VIP chose to compromise…and are pitching for an expelled RJD leader over a Nishad,” the BJP leader quoted above, added.
The messaging the BJP hopes will come in handy to woo the Nishads that are spread across the state and have heft to sway elections in 22 of the state’s 243 seats. “There are at least 35 seats where the BJP is also contesting polls where Nishads are in a sizable number. We have also given tickets to representatives from the community that has traditionally been a NDA vote bank,” the leader said.
As per Bihar caste survey data, Nishads, an EBC community, constitute around 5% of the electorate.
The BJP has fielded Sujit Kumar from the seat, going to polls on Thursday.
BJP leader and Union minister of state Raj Bhushan Nishad also took potshots at the VIP for letting go of a party stronghold. “Under pressure from the RJD, VIP supremo Mukesh Sahani has surrendered before the Congress and the RJD. It was because of the RJD’s pressure that the VIP candidate Santosh Sahani had to be withdrawn from the election in Gaura Bauram. The RJD–Congress have always deceived the Mallah community. The real respect for the Mallah community is given only by the NDA,” he said.
For his part, Sahani in a post on social media said the decision was taken to ensure the Opposition Grand Alliance’s victory. “This is a larger battle. It’s not about one seat or one leader. Our focus is on forming a Mahagathbandhan government,” he said in a Facebook post.
