Are JDU and RJD working on a common strategy on demonetisation?

For the second time in nine days, JD(U) National President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called on his coalition partner Rashtriya Janata Dal’s supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav late on Tuesday evening at the official bungalow of former CM Rabri Devi. The last time he went to meet Lalu was on November 21, after his morning walk. After the meeting, the two leaders said that there is complete unity in Bihar’s Grand Alliance on all issues.

This was not an isolated development. On the same day in New Delhi, JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP and former party chief Sharad Yadav attended the meeting of opposition parties in Parliament on the after effects of demonetisation, after skipping the Monday meeting. He said that he could not be present on Monday as he was in Pune. An opposition leader, who also attended the Tuesday meeting, said that Sharad Yadav hinted about the possible change in his party’s stand on the effects of demonetisation, and asked them to wait for 3-4 days.

While some political observers are interpreting these developments as a political compulsion of the JD(U) President, one thing is clear: two frequent meetings between the two stalwarts of the Grand Alliance and Sharad Yadav’s return to the opposition meeting suggests that Nitish is not at all drifting towards the Bharatiya Janata Party, as is being speculated in the media after the Bihar CM’s praise of the Prime Minister’s demonetisation decision.

“There may be differences on the issue of politically countering the challenge of demonetisation between Nitish on the one hand and Lalu and Sharad on the other, but there is no question of disintegration of the Grand Alliance in Bihar,” said a JD(U) insider.

It was only late on Monday night that Nitish attacked “some people” for conspiring to commit "rajnaitik hatya" (political assassination of his career). The CM was reportedly furious about media reports speculating that he may rejoin the NDA, with some suggesting he had even met with BJP National President Amit Shah. Nitish’s attack compelled his former deputy Sushil Kumar Modi to retort that the CM would be politically finished if he remains in alliance with the RJD and Congress any longer.

Incidentally, Nitish went to Lalu’s residence not just to meet him, but had been invited by the latter to attend a meeting of the RJD legislative party in the Bihar assembly. According to reports, the meeting was very cordial and Lalu conveyed to Nitish the feelings of his party’s legislators. RJD MLAs Lalit Yadav and Bhai Mahavir reportedly raised the issue of bureaucratic neglect of RJD lawmakers. Nitish is said to have assured the RJD MLAs and MLCs that he would look into the matter.

If Lalu reportedly told the meeting that he is not opposed to demonetisation as such, but only the way it is being implemented, Sharad in New Delhi reportedly told the opposition leaders that his party has never supported demonetisation blindly. Sources said that with all rumours of Nitish drifting towards the BJP scotched, the two major Grand Alliance partners in Bihar may soon draw up a common strategy to take on the issue of demonetisation.

As these developments were taking place in New Delhi and Patna, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee landed in Bihar’s capital on Tuesday and met Lalu late in the evening. On Wednesday, she sat in a dharna against demonetisation in Patna. She showered praise on Lalu and his younger son, Tejaswi Prasad Yadav. Though Lalu, who is not keeping well, is not attending the sit-in, his state party chief Ram Chandra Purvey was present at Gardanibagh, the venue of the sit-in. JD(U) is keeping itself away from Mamata’s agitation in Patna. But in the State Assembly and legislative council, JD(U) and RJD members had a more cordial relation on Tuesday than on previous days. They put up a united face before the opposition BJP.

Soroor Ahmed is a senior journalist based in Patna