By TCN Staff Reporter,
Patna: Just three days are left for the Phase 1 poll campaign to end, Bihar chief Minister Nitish Kumar hasn’t yet shared dais with leaders of BJP, his ally of the ruling alliance. He is doing so for fear of losing the support of Muslims who are decisive in at least 25 seats out of 47 going to poll on October 21.
Though it is not officially announced, media reports say that Nitish Kumar would not share stage with the top BJP leadership during the whole campaign for Bihar election starting on 21st Oct. and concluding on 20thNov. This all to stop Muslim votes from going to his arch rivals Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan.
Though JDU is contesting the elections in alliance with BJP, not even single joint campaign rally was organized so far and they are yet to decide formula of joint campaign. “Decision on joint campaign will be finalized later” said BJP senior leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain.
It should be noted here that BJP has already kept Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi and party leader Varun Gandhi out of the Bihar poll campaign on the demand of Nitish Kumar and now party’s senior leader LK Advani will also skip the campaign for first phase.
Interestingly, unlike past elections this time BJP is seeking vote on development work leaving behind its favorite topic communalism and presenting Punjab and Haryana as role model states instead Gujarat and Karnataka. During the campaign C.P. Thakur, president of Bihar unit of BJP, has been presenting former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as role model and not LK Advani or Narendra Modi.