Bihar Politics / Nitish reopens wounds of Bhagalpur riots, Mahagathbandhan formula may go awry in Bihar

Bihar Politics: Assembly elections in Bihar may be eight months away, but political activities have intensified already. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently gave development gifts to Bihar and emphasized on Hindutva and good governance, while Chief Minister Nitish Kumar raised the issue of Bhagalpur riots and put RJD-Congress in the dock. Nitish Kumar alleged that the governments before him came to power used to do politics of Muslim votes, but failed to stop communal clashes.

Background of Bhagalpur riots

In October 1989, about a thousand people lost their lives in the communal riots in Bhagalpur, Bihar. This incident had a profound impact on the politics of the state, due to which the Muslim vote bank split from the Congress and went to the Janata Dal. Later Lalu Prasad Yadav took power and kept the Muslim community as his core voter. However, no concrete steps were taken towards providing justice to the victims of the Bhagalpur riots. On this issue, Nitish Kumar kept the work of his government prominently and repeatedly raised it in his rallies.

Nitish's political attack

Nitish Kumar recently raised the issue of Bhagalpur riots in the presence of PM Modi and attacked RJD-Congress. He said that only after his government was formed, the victims got justice and the culprits were punished. He alleged that no action was taken on this issue during the tenure of Lalu-Rabri government because the accused were supporters of the ruling party. Nitish described himself as a well-wisher of the Muslim community and said that he formed a commission for the victims of Bhagalpur riots and ensured their assistance.

Bet on Muslim votes

Bihar has 17% Muslim voters, who play a decisive role in more than 50 assembly seats. The Muslim vote was once the base of the Congress, but after the rise of Lalu Yadav, it went towards RJD. After 2005, when Nitish Kumar became the Chief Minister, a large section of Muslims also joined JDU. However, when Nitish broke ties with RJD in 2017 and formed an alliance with BJP, Muslim voters started moving away from him. This was clearly seen in the 2020 elections when JDU got only 43 seats.

New strategy for Muslim votes

Nitish Kumar fears that his closeness with BJP can further take Muslim votes away from him. This is why he wants to send a message that he is a true well-wisher of the Muslim community by repeatedly raising the issue of Bhagalpur riots. He wants to show that Congress and RJD did nothing for Muslims, but promoted communal tension.

Challenges of the Grand Alliance

The Bhagalpur riots can prove to be a weak link for RJD and Congress. No concrete action was taken in this matter during the 15-year rule of Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi. Political analysts believe that Nitish is trying to make a dent in the Muslim vote bank by raising this issue, while RJD-Congress are silent on this.

Will the political equation of Bihar change?

Muslim votes in Bihar still seem to be in favour of the Grand Alliance, but Nitish Kumar is trying to turn them towards himself. On the pretext of the Bhagalpur riots, he is trying to prove himself to be just and a true well-wisher of Muslims. In such a situation, it remains to be seen how much impact this strategy of his will have in the upcoming elections.