Will Nitish become NDA’s ‘face’ in 2014?

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The unprecedented electoral victory of the JD(U) in association with its BJP ally is certain to boost the national profile of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. It is now evident that the chief minister’s move to block any campaign by BJP Hindutva mascot Narendra Modi in the state helped him snatch the Muslim support base from secular outfits like the Congress, RJD and LJP. The Left of course was completely decimated.
A senior JD(U) leader, who spoke of Mr Kumar’s “prime ministerial ambitions”, felt that the JD(U) leader “not merely managed to retain his secular image, despite being a BJP ally, but will also be more acceptable to the NDA allies.”
While in Bihar Mr Kumar will need the BJP to run an effective administration, at the national level he could well become the NDA’s “face” that could attract other political outfits which have now gathered under the ragtag third front banner, a JD(U) source said.
It was argued that in the next general election, while the Congress-led UPA could project a prime ministerial candidate, the NDA at this juncture has no such face. Despite Ms Sushma Swaraj’s “political ambition to be projected as PM candidate by the party”, she will not only face opposition from within but also stands the chance of being rejected by NDA allies over her lack of national stature to attract votes for the alliance,” a BJP leader said. Despite riding high on the development plank, Narendra Modi continues to remain somewhat of an “untouchable” for these allies as well as large sections of the country following the 2002 Gujarat communal carnage.
After Atal Behari Vajpayee, the BJP has not being able to project a leader who can draw political outfits across the country despite its nexus with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the leader noted. “While Mr Arun Jaitley, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, is at this juncture the only (BJP) leader acceptable to all and sundry, the RSS influence in BJP affairs might just curtail his chances of being projected as a PM candidate,” a senior saffron leader said.
In this scenario, Mr Nitish Kumar, who is now being hailed as “Vikas Purush” for his role in ensuring Bihar’s development (a title earlier used to refer to Mr Vajpayee), and with a reputation for good governance and adherence to socialist principles, could well emerge as the NDA’s face in the next general election, leaders of both the JD(U) and BJP said.