BJP moves a step closer to Opposition-free India

The Janata Dal (United) joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance has dealt a fatal blow to Opposition unity and could help achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah’s vision of a “vipaksh mukt Bharat” or an India free of anti-BJP Opposition.

Wednesday’s developments in Bihar also have ramifications for an impending Cabinet reshuffle. It could mean that some of the JD(U) members of Parliament might be accommodated in the Cabinet. JD(U) has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha. 

Their numbers would help the NDA reach closer to the majority mark in the Upper House. Currently, the NDA is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha.

However, the BJP and JD(U) equation is unlikely to be that which existed between the two until 2013. Then, the BJP was in the Opposition at the Centre and Nitish Kumar called the shots. But now a dominant BJP is likely to call the shots, despite having 53 legislators to Kumar’s 71. 

It could also make BJP’s other Bihar allies, such as Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party and Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, redundant for the BJP in that state.

The best news for the BJP is that it would go into the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with the confidence that Opposition unity is torn to smithereens and it is unlikely to face any challenge.

There, however, could be more bad news for the Opposition in the months to come. Kumar and his strategists have been part of an effort to get the Janata Dal (U) into an alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party, rebel Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela, Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani and Patidar leader Hardik Patel for the Gujarat Assembly polls. A similar plan is afoot in Rajasthan and Haryana — make senior Congress leaders unhappy with Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi float their own outfits. 

These outfits would represent the third force in these states, eating into the Congress vote share.

Hurt by prohibition

When Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar broke ranks with other Opposition parties to support the candidature of Ram Nath Kovind in the third week of June, he told Opposition leaders that the liquor ban in the state and the subsequent loss of revenue of Rs 3,000 crore had forced his hand.

According to a top leader of a Left party, Kumar had told him how he desperately needed central assistance to recoup some of the revenue loss. But it wasn’t forthcoming. 

The Bihar government had imposed prohibition in April 2016. Publicly, Kumar said his party’s support for Kovind was because they shared a great equation during the latter’s stint as Bihar governor.