INDIA bloc faces confusion in Bihar

Failure to put up a united front in Bihar is raising concern about INDIA bloc’s ability to harvest anti-incumbency votes in due measure following the 20-year reign of Mr. Nitish Kumar as the state’s chief minister. Reports emanating from Patna point to confusion among the constituents of the INDIA block, namely the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist).

The Congress which was enthused by the rousing response to the Vote Adhikar Rally led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has fielded its candidates in as many as seven seats against the RJD while the al lies are facing candidates of VIP and CPI(ML) in several other constituencies.

With the nomination phase coming to an end, the allies have failed to reach an overall consensus in matters of sharing of seats.

The ‘friendly contests’ might euphemistically satisfy the allies of the INDIA bloc but wouldn’t be enough to convince the electorate who look up to them as an alternative to the long reigning JDU-led NDA government. It is undeniable that the losses will have to be jointly shared and in the event of these causing loss of power, the disagreeing leaders rather than the elec torate would have to be blamed.