The ruling Janata Dal-United, led by chief minister Nitish Kumar , has become a butt of the joke with the key NDA ally yet to release its JDU manifesto now with the month-long, seven-phased Lok Sabha elections are drawing to a close.
While each and every political party came out with its poll manifestoes telling the masses the issues they would focus upon, the JD-U has still not made its position clear, inviting bitter criticisms from the opposition.
The JD-U despite being part of the NDA had put its views independently in the past. Until the announcement of dates for Lok Sabha poll, the party had taken a different stand on issues, such as Ram Temple, Uniform Civil Code, Art 370 that gives special privilege to Jammu and Kashmir, triple talaq and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
What was more interesting, a delegation of JD-U led by party’s national general KC Tyagi even met the leaders of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in January this year to lend its support in the fight against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
But when it was to make its stand clear over these issues through the poll manifesto, the JD-U maintained studied silence. The move has not only added to the confusion among the masses but also drawn ridicule from the opposition.
“Respected Nitish Uncle, please show courage to release your poll manifesto even on the last day of the last round of election campaign. Don’t look so afraid from the BJP or be prepared to face taunts from the common masses that a Bihari chief minister didn’t act out of fear from outsiders,” Bihar opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav tweeted today.
“Chachaji, kya halat bana liya aapne?” asked Tejashwi. The million-dollar question being debated in the political circles now is that what prompted the JD-U to drag its feet on the poll manifesto this time.
Experts say with his own charisma missing and the chief minister himself seeking votes in the name of Prime Minister Modi, it would have conveyed a wrong message among the masses had the JD-U opposed the BJP’s stand on contentious issues.
Unlike previous occasions when the chief minister sought votes in the name of development works carried out by his government or his own image, Kumar this time has continued lavishing huge praises on the actions the Prime Minister, especially his act of conducting an airstrike on terror camps in Pakistan, all through the poll campaign.
The JD-U, however, denied it was nothing to do with politics. “We believe in carrying out development works, rather than releasing manifesto. This doesn’t matter for us,” explained party spokesperson Ajay Alok.
The opposition alleged the JD-U has kept its option clear by keeping its stand “vague”.