Patna Former Bihar chief minister and senior Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar on Wednesday began yet another tour of the state, after lying low for five months.
This is Kumar’s ninth statewide tour of Bihar in the past nine years.
Although JD-U officials claim the objective of his tour nicknamed Sampark yatra (contact tour) is to strengthen the party base, strategists say the prime concern before the ruling party right now is how to check the rolling juggernaut of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has surged to power in Haryana and Maharashtra on its own.
Party insiders said Kumar felt the urgent need for another yartra apparently after witnessing the fast-eroding support base of his party which could win only two seats in this year’s Lok Sabha polls — its worst performance in poll history.
During his 17-day-long tour to be formally kick-started from West Champaran on November 13, Kumar will hold the political conventions of workers and leaders in 34 districts — two conventions each day to train the workers how to take on the saffron party in the coming assembly polls due next year. Kumar has accused the BJP of spreading rumours in society and turning social media into ‘antisocial’ media.
“I will meet party workers and grassroots activists by holding conventions in every district. In am confident Bihar will give a [new] direction to the country … with thoughts, development with justice, brotherhood and social harmony,” Kumar posted on his Facebook page before embarking on his statewide tour.
State JD-U president Vashishtha Narayan Singh said the yatra would energise the party workers which in turn would benefit the party. “We are very much hopeful the whirlwind tour by Kumar will galvanise the party, strengthen it at the grassroots level and prepare workers to meet challenges,” Singh said claiming the visit would indeed work wonders for the party.
So far, the JD-U had gone to polls in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, but now that both the parties have fallen apart, it’s a tough challenge for the JD-U to get the support of the masses. Although the JD-U has announced it will be a part of the grand secular alliance comprising Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress party, the JD-U is leaving nothing to chance to refurbish its chances on its own.
The move is also being viewed by many as an indirect attempt by Kumar to checkmate his successor chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi who has made no secret of his galloping political ambitions in recent weeks and has been exhorting his fellow dalit community to be united to elect someone from their own group as the CM again. Significantly, Kumar’s resignation as chief minister earlier had been accepted by the party only with the precondition that he would lead the party in the coming state polls, but Majhi’s growing political ambition has apparently shocked Kumar.
This is the ninth time in succession that Kumar has gone on statewide tour of Bihar.
Earlier, Kumar had launched Nyaya Yatra or justice tour {July 2005}, Vikas yatra or development tour (January 2009), Dhanyavad yatra or thanksgiving tour (June 2009), Pravas yatra or Sojourn tour (December 2009), Viswas yatra or confidence tour (April 2010), Seva yatra or service tour (November 2011), Adhikar yatra or tour for right (September 2012) and Sankalp yatra or pledge tour (March 2014).
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