EXPLAINER | Bihar Polls: Breaking Ties With JD(U) But Close To BJP, Understanding LJP's Strategy

Ahead of the Bihar elections, Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) announced that it will contest solo while reiterating that it has good relations with the BJP. But is there another reason for these changes?

Image: PTI

New Delhi: Bihar is set to go on polls from October 28. The election will be held in 3 phases and the results will be announced on 10th November. Both the NDA and UPA have announced their seat-sharing formula for the polls. The plan also brought to the forefront the rifts between parties especially that of the Janata Dal-United (JDU) and, the Chirag Paswan-headed Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). While the JDU-led by the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will contest on as many as 122 seats the BJP will contest on 121 seats. Paswan had earlier said that the party will still “support the Bharatiya Janata Party but will not fight the elections under the leadership of JD(U) president and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. News agency ANI quoted LJP national general secretary Abdul Khaliq saying as, "Lok Janshakti Party will not contest the upcoming Bihar elections in alliance with Janata Dal (United) due to ideological differences." But on Tuesday LJP declared that it will fight the election solo. It also reiterated that there are no differences with the BJP. However, the BJP told Paswan that the party should not use PM Modi's picture for the election campaign. During the press conference for the announcement of seat-sharing,  BJP also said that its alliance with Nitish Kumar's JD(U) in Bihar is "unbreakable". "We have said unequivocally that Nitish Kumar will be our Chief Minister. It does not matter which party gets how many seats in the elections," said BJP leader Sushil Modi. On Wednesday the LJP, former Bihar BJP vice-president Rajendra Singh has also joined LJP. He will be contesting from the Dinara constituency against JD(U). Despite his shift, Singh has maintained his allegiance to BJP and said that Amit Shah continues to be his leader in a report by Hindustan Times. The report also says that there others with a connection to BJP that are waiting to join LJP. LJP has also made it clear that they will not be projecting Chirag Paswan as a CM candidate. A report by Times of India says that the party will accept any BJP CM in the state. With such development speculations are rife that this could be a tactic to keep JD(U) in check. There is a possibility that the BJP might be using it as a way to control anti-incumbency. The situation which brings back the memory of the 2019 Maharashtra crisis, also makes it possible that post-poll there might be big changes. Chirag Paswan has also not dismissed the rumours.