Nitish Kumar takes centre stage in JD(U) campaign posters for Lok Sabha polls

India वोट Kar | March 29, 2019

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his government’s record, rather than central schemes, have become the focus of the JD(U)‘s Lok Sabha campaign. Hoardings outside the party office in Patna feature him prominently, with only small pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan.

The slogans

One hoarding reads “Neta Woh Jo Nirnay Le” (a leader is one who takes decisions), and another, carrying photos of all 17 JD(U) candidates, calls Nitish honest and good and asks voters to go with him. Other posters stress work and respect, and promote the Chief Minister’s goals of a nation free of liquor, dowry and child marriage, along with his bicycle scheme for students.

Party national general secretary Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, releasing the posters, said the aim was to tell voters that Nitish Kumar keeps his promises.

Shifting balance in the NDA

Nitish was also the face of the 2015 Assembly campaign, but the new posters reflect a change within the NDA. When he rejoined the alliance in June 2017, the BJP had the upper hand, and BJP leaders say they were told not to let him take credit for all the work. After the BJP’s defeats in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, however, Nitish pressed his case, and the BJP agreed to contest an equal number of seats and give up five seats held by its sitting MPs. BJP leaders privately admit the party gave up the advantage of being the bigger partner.

BJP’s response

Defending the posters, BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said the NDA’s campaign would rest on both Mr Modi’s work at the Centre and Nitish Kumar’s in the state, with development as the agenda.