Ashoka the Great, the Mauryan emperor, has gained currency in Bihar politics ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls with political parties competing with each other to woo the voters belonging Kushwaha castes.  All the major parties of the state, including the ruling alliance partners, seem to have reduced the stature of the great empire builder to a Kushwaha clansman.

All the political parties have, of late, busied themselves in cashing in on the name of the emperor of the bygone era in the name of celebrating his “fictitious” 2367th birth anniversary. In the last couple of days, different parts of the state, including in Patna, is abuzz with the chants of Ashoka’s name.

Interestingly, the Bihar government has already declared official holiday on April 14 in commemoration of Ashoka to mark his birth anniversary way back in December 2015. Speaking to The Statesman, former professor and head of the department, Ancient Indian History and archaeology, Patna University O P Jayaswal said, “Bihar government has, in fact, “invented” the date of birth of Emperor Ashoka while historians are still clueless about his exact date of birth.

However, state unit of the Samrat Ashoka Club, dominated by Koeri (Kushwaha) and Dangi castes, which are supporters of the ruling Janata Dal United ( JD-U) under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar, have celebrated his birth anniversary on March 29 itself.

Another historian said that Ashoka’s epigraphs, the only written testimony of the events in Ashoka’s lifetime, do not mention either his date or year of birth. “Inventing history by celebrating a fictitious birthday is not the way forward,” says Nayanjot Lahiri of Delhi.

The professor and head of the department of Ancient Indian History and Archaeology, Vishwa Bharati University, Shantiniketan, Prof Anil Kumar expressed shock over the government’s decision to declare April 14 as the birthday of the emperor. He said political parties have highlighted it by creating an imaginary personality of Ashoka.

As the polls are drawing near, politicians hastened to discover the ruler’s jaati (caste) to declare him a Kushwaha, said Prof Kumar said.

Kushwahas are a dominant OBC community who constitute 8 per cent of the total voters of Bihar.

Newly-appointed state BJP chief Samrat Choudhary, who belongs to the Kushwaha caste, while talking to media persons at Sasaram, said the birth anniversary of Ashoka would be celebrated on a grand scale at Railway Ground in Sasaram on April 2.

Choudhary has invited all the mukhiyas, panchayat representatives and grassroots and booth-level party workers to attend the Jayanti function. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to inaugurate the anniversary function on April 2. This would be the home minister’s fourth visit to Bihar within six months.

CM Nitish Kumar, while inaugurating a birth anniversary function of Ashoka here, asked the people of Bihar to beware of “dilli waale log” who, he said would misguide them. “They have done nothing except their own publicity,” he said.

The CM said, “We have accomplished many works to perpetuate the memory and teachings of Lord Buddha and Ashoka. We have built state-of-the-art huge Ashoka convention centre, Buddha Smruti park, Mahabodhi Convention Centre at Bodh Gaya Sabhyata Dwar (civilization Gate) in Patna.”

Earlier, hundreds of people under the banner of the Samrat Ashok Club took out a procession from Golghar roundabout passing through the main thoroughfares of the city terminated here at the main venue of the programme – SK Memorial Hall.

The president of the newly-formed party – Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal (RLJD) – Upendra Kushwaha also celebrated his birth anniversary here at Bapu Sabhagar. It was mainly aimed at showcasing his strength by organising a birthday function for Ashoka on March 29.

Kushwaha supporters shared different “imaginary” pictures of Ashoka on social media. They also took out an impressive celebratory procession of Ashoka on the streets of Sasaram in Rohtas district. “How far it will convert into votes is yet to be seen,” said one of his supporters.