The ruling JD(U) camp in Bihar is rife with anticipation that two of its prominent rebel leaders, namely Rajiv Ranjan (Lallan) Singh and Prabhunath Singh would soon join the RJD and the Congress respectively, which could make inroads in the ruling party’s support base in the upper caste in the state. The party leaders attribute the move
of the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to reach out to the jailed Rajput leader Anand Mohan Singh as part of the strategy to offset the potential damage that the two rebel leaders could inflict on the party.
The poll-bound Bihar is already witnessing the JD(U) and its arch-rival RJD making all attempts to polarise the Rajput vote base in their respective favour. Mr Prabhunath Singh, who hails from Rajput caste, is soon likely to join the RJD. Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav led party by weaning away Mr Singh from the JD(U) camp is making attempts to polarise Muslim-Yadav-Dalit-Rajput caste equations in favour of the RJD-LJP combine to give a tough battle to the JD (U)-BJP combine in the state elections.
“Though Mr Nitish Kumar is comfortably placed to hold on to the Bhumihar (land-owning caste) vote base with the support of the alliance partner BJP, he is not sure of the support of the Rajput caste. By reaching out to Anand Mohan Singh, who is politically lying low, Mr Kumar hopes to offset the damage which could be caused by Mr Prabhunath Singh joining the RJD,” said a senior JD(U) functionary.
The JD(U) leaders maintained that another party rebel MP, Rajiv Ranjan (Lalllan) Singh, who was once a close aide of the Bihar chief minister and is the face of the Bhumihar caste, is soon likely to join the Congress, which is making all attempts to rediscover its support base in the state.
“Mr Lallan Singh’s joining the Congress will hurt the prospect of the JD(U) but the party is pinning hope on leaders like Arun Singh and Vijay Choudhary to offset his loss. The BJP also has strong support base in the caste group to bail out the JD(U) from the potential damage that the rebel leader could inflict on the party,” added the JD(U) functionary.