Patna, July 16 : A day after BJP leader Vijay Singh died in mysterious circumstances, he gave a “Sanjivani” to the BJP leaders to launch an attack on the Nitish-Tejashwi government in Bihar.

The investigation by the Patna police tells a different story from what the BJP leaders are saying but this case will prove to be a weapon for the BJP to target Nitish Kumar and Tejashwi Yadav in the run up to the Lok Sabha election 2024. They will make the lathicharge on BJP workers an issue against the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) government.

Bharatiya Janata Party leaders are already targeting the Mahagathbandhan government for lawlessness in the state, charge sheet against Tejashwi Yadav, domicile policy for teachers’ recruitment, corruption charges against the Nitish Kumar government, especially the bridge collapsed in Aguwani Ghat Khagaria on the Ganga river.  This is one aspect of the BJP preparing to point out the shortcomings of the state government. The other aspect is the BJP’s own strength of having a big cadre in Bihar.   

Samrat Chaudhary, the state president of the BJP in Bihar, said: “The agitation on the streets of Patna was organised by the BJP leaders and supporters. Many people are saying that we have hijacked the protest of the teachers' jobs aspirants. I want to say that we support the teachers and are not hijacking their protest. We have the capacity to protest on our own. We are a cadre based party and we are fighting against the dictatorship of Nitish Kumar.”  Nikhil Anand, national general secretary of the BJP OBC wing, said: “As an opposition party, it is our duty to point out the irregularities to the Grand Alliance government. As our state president said, we have a strong cadre in Bihar and we are dependent on them. We respect our cadre and they respect the ideology of the party. We are organizing events in every block and village to inform people about the 9 years achievements of the Narendra Modi government.” 

“Many leaders in the ruling parties in Bihar blame the Centre for charge-sheeting Tejashwi Yadav in the IRCTC land for job scam. This case came to light in March 2009 when the present JD-U national president Lalan Singh and RJD vice president Shivanand Tiwari played the roles of whistleblowers and handed over the proofs to the Manmohan Singh government.  "Moreover, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar left the Mahagathbandhan in 2017 after the name of Tejashwi Yadav figured in the charge sheet of the CBI. Then he left the RJD. If Tejashwi Yadav is again charge sheeted in 2023 then why is Nitish Kumar not taking his resignation? 

"I have a simple question for Nitish Kumar -- whether he was right in 2017 or is he right in 2023. BJP leaders were not the ones who played the role of crusaders. It was Lalan Singh and Shivanand Tiwari and Nitish Kumar who had taken the decision to leave the Mahagathbandhan on the issue of the charge sheet. How is the BJP the culprit in framing Tejashwi Yadav?” Anand said.   

“We have our own strengths like Saptrishi and Panna Pramukh and their reach is to the doorsteps of every household even in the remote villages. So we are preparing for the Lok Sabha polls on our own strength and also performing the role of a responsible opposition party,” Anand said.  The BJP currently has around 57800 Booth Level Agents (BLA), around 73000 Saptrishis and a large number of Panna Pramukh and media in charge at the booth level.  Manan Krishnan, the state media in-charge of the BJP, said: “The Saptrishi means 7 persons deployed at one polling booth and they come under the BLA. The Panna Pramukh means one person to take care of one Panna (Front and Back page) of the voter list. In states like Gujarat we have page Pramukh which means one person for only one page either on the back or front side of the voter list. Besides, we also have media in-charge at the booth level. Their job is to spread the party policies and ideology among the voters.” 

“So, our reach is almost at every doorstep even in the remote villages of Bihar. They are dedicated workers of the BJP. They are ideologically connected with the party,” Krishnan said.  BJP leaders at the ground level are also supported by RSS workers. They are also in large numbers and connected with the BLA, Saptrishis, Panna Pramukhs and media in-charge at the booth level.