After failing to rope in Congress for an alliance in Bihar, the RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav is confident that Rahul Gandhi will create a chink in the upper caste vote base.
Asserting that he is not afraid of Mr Gandhi’s efforts to revive the Congress in Bihar, Mr Yadav is hopeful that the young Gandhi would deliver a blow to the JD(U)-BJP c
ombine by dividing the upper caste votes. When asked of his thoughts on Mr Gandhi’s impending campaign in Bihar, Mr Yadav said in his inimical style: “Rahul Gandhi is welcome to campaign in Bihar. He will only eat into Brahmin and Bhumiar votes. RJD has nothing to fear from him.”
The RJD chief’s assertion is based on the fact that the formidable Bhumiar leader and dissident JD(U)’s Lok Sabha MP, Rajiv Ranjan (Lallan) Singh, has made up his mind to cross the fence to join hands with the Congress and give the party a strong upper caste leadership. However, Mr Yadav dismisses all talks of the Congress making inroads in the Muslim vote base as well.
The RJD, which is going to polls in alliance with Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP, is making attempts to weave a larger vote base of Muslim-Yadav-Paswan-Rajputs. In scheme of things of Mr Yadav, the JD(U)-BJP will be at receiving ends due to desertions of Bhumiar caste group, which is largely a land-owning group, after the Bihar chief minister, Nitish Kumar, made attempt to give inalienable rights to share-croppers on land that they till.
“Mr Gandhi will appeal to two upper caste groups who are unhappy with Mr Kumar. This will work perfectly in favour of RJD-LJP alliance,” said an RJD leader. He added that impending move of another dissident JD(U) leader, Prabhunath Singh to join hands with Mr Yadav would boost party’s prospect in the polls.
The principal contenders of the Bihar polls are busy in getting their caste arithmetic right.