Bihar BJP banking heavily on Paswan
The LJP chief is important for the BJP to get Paswan votes
Sasaram: Sensing a resurgence of RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s “Muslim-Yadav” vote base, the BJP is aggressively projecting its tie-up with the Ram Vilas Paswan led LJP in caste centered electoral battle in Bihar. Incidentally, Mr Paswan is also the most sought after leader by BJP candidates at the time of filing of their nomination papers.
The BJP strategists in the state are banking on Mr Paswan to ensure six per cent of his core vote base come out aggressively to cast their votes for alliance candidates on polling days. They seem to be spurred by indications that Mahadalits, an umbrella group of Scheduled Castes minus the Paswan formed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, are showing signs of drifting away from the JD (U).
“We are inviting Mr Paswan along with other leaders on the day of filing of nomination paper. We are sure of upper caste votes, but it is the Paswan votes, which can help us beat our rivals,” said a close aide of Ms Putul Kumari, BJP’s nominee for the Banka Lok Sabha seat.
Even the LJP nominees are seeking upper caste leaders of the BJP to canvas for them.
On paper, the BJP-LJP alliance looks a perfect fit in Bihar where castes hold key to electoral success of a party. Unlike 2009 polls when BJP-JD(U) combine had taken on the RJD, multi-cornered contests in most of the 40 constituencies here are on the anvil, which has made Mr Paswan more crucial for the BJP.