Nitish could be another Mehbooba
the Modi juggernaut have been salvaged? The blame for it goes to both sides: Lalu erring before the breakup and Nitish after resigning.
The rebellious Sharad Yadav had advised the CM to desist joining the BJP the way he had counselled him against deserting the NDA before the 2014 elections. But he ignored such advice, knowing fully well that the BJP of today wasn’t the party of the AB Vajpayee era.
Unlike the NDA-I that was dependent on regional crutches, an ally of Nitish’s size cannot be a restraining influence on the BJP-led formation’s second edition. It has overwhelming numbers today in parliament and governments in 18 state capitals.
So the core agenda of Ram mandir, Common Civil Code and abrogation of Article 370 that was deferred in its earlier incarnation is very much on the front burner. The tail will wag the dog no more.
The BJP’s majoritarian pitch predicated on these issues might telescope over time Nitish’s silos of caste support. The extremely weaker sections among Dalits and Backwards could gravitate towards the BJP, what with the appeal of Ramvilas Paswan and Jitan Manjhi who’s no friend of the CM.
In the long run, the residual opposition to the Modi bandwagon would be the MuslimYadav compact. It’ll find new leadership or reconcile to remote control or old-guard such as Sharad if Lalu’s entire family is jailed.
In short, the losses of the inherently atomic JD siblings’ could be mutual and equal. Unless of course a major crisis comes to bedevil the BJP.