BJP may name sushil modi as Bihar cm candidate
A majority of party leaders are of the view that Sushil Kumar Modi is the perfect candidate for the CM’s post.
Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi is likely to be announced as the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled for September-October.
BJP sources said that apart from Modi’s political credentials, the fact that he is an OBC leader, like Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, has made him the first choice in a state where caste considerations play a crucial role.
Party sources said that the RSS, of which Modi was a full-time member from 1977 to 1986, has also expressed its approval of the choice Modi.
“Apart from the fact that he is perhaps one of most experienced leaders that we have, with a rich experience of working in the Opposition, at the Centre (he was national vice president of the party), as an MP and a state minister, Modi also belongs to the backward class and enjoys the trust of the RSS. A majority of party leaders are of the view that he is the perfect candidate for the CM’s post,” said a BJP Rajya Sabha member.
According to him, other leaders like Shahnawaz Hussain, Nand Kishore Ya- dav, Union minister Radha Mohan Singh, Giriraj Singh and Ashwini Choubey had also been in the running.
“Even though his name has not been formally announced, indications from Delhi confirm that he is going to be our face for the election. He has been given complete freedom to select candidates, delegate responsibilities and oversee preparations. Senior leaders like Nand Kishore Yadav and Radha Mohan Singh have now happily accepted Modi. Others will hopefully follow suit once his name is formally announced,” said a BJP MLA from north Bihar.
According to him, caste was a very important factor in the decision. “The upper castes are not more than 11% of the total population of the state, while Muslims are 16% and Yadavs are about 14%. A major chunk (around 36%) is the backward class, which supported us overwhelmingly in the 2014 general elections. Modi’s own Vaishya community constitutes around 6.5% of the population,” he explained.
According to a BJP Rajya Sabha member, other leaders like Shahnawaz Hussain, Nand Kishore Yadav, Union minister Radha Mohan Singh, Giriraj Singh and Ashwini Choubey had also been in the running.