Rahul once even––in not so many words––appreciated Nitish Kumar’s work in Bihar, but had no word of praise for the then railway minister in the Congress-led UPA government of Manmohan Singh. Though the Congress was fighting the election alone and was suppose to be as much anti-Nitish as anti-Lalu yet the anger of the party leadership appeared to be more directed against the latter. This in spite of the fact that till as late as February 10, 2009––that is a few weeks before the campaign was to start––during the foundation laying ceremony of the coupling plant in Dalmianagar Sonia was appreciative of work of the railway ministry.

Nitish was quick to capitalize on what Rahul and also Sonia said during the electioneering then. Other Congress leaders too started attacking the RJD-LJP alliance more than the NDA, though they were aware of the fact that there still exists a possibility of post-poll alliance with the former while the latter will always remain a rival.

The RJD and LJP never expected the Congress to go on offensive to such an extent at the very outset of the campaign. Lalu and Ram Vilas Paswan had to pay dearly and Nitish, along with the BJP, swept the poll. The Congress itself ended up suffering one of the worst defeats––it won just two seats.

However, on October 14 this year Rahul chose to concentrate his attack on Nitish Kumar. In the Muslim-dominated districts of Araria and Katihar. He went on to say something very significant and damaging against Nitish Kumar. He said that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s partnership is not with BJP leaders but with its ideology as he has been supporting their move to create division in the name of religion and community.
In Saharsa district, he blasted the Nitish Kumar government for doing absolutely nothing for Bihar notwithstanding the fact that the UPA government in the last five years sent funds worth Rs one lakh crore to Bihar. This is against just Rs 50,000 crore sent by the previous Vajpayee government to Bihar in the period between 1998 and 2004.
What Rahul had said may be perfectly all right. But in this changed post-Ayodhya verdict political scenario these two sensational disclosures may benefit Lalu Yadav as his April 2009 speeches boasted the prospect of Nitish.
With Congress scared of losing minority votes after the verdict, especially in the Muslim dominated districts of north-east Bihar, it is most likely that the RJD and LJP may fully capitalize on his speeches this time.
In Saharsa the same day Rahul concentraled on lack of development and rampant corruption in Bihar. Unlike last time there was no word of praise for Nitish Kumar. Rahul was scathing in his attack and with the help of figures proved that the UPA has doubled the grant to Bihar.

This had vindicated the stand of Lalu Yadav that the RJD government in the past was deliberately ignored and neglected by the Vajpayee government for political reasons. Though Lalu too had been saying so but there were few buyers of his version. Rahul’s allegation carries more weight and credibility as he has come from the Centre and spoke with the help of data.

Once again the RJD-LJP alliance will go all out to attack the NDA for keeping Bihar backward by reducing all grants and funds which were due to the state between 1998 and 2004.

The Congress leadership in 2009 thought that it was more important for the party to defeat and weaken Lalu Yadav rather than win more seats in the parliamentary election in Bihar. Though the party succeeded in damaging Lalu heavily, it itself too failed to improve its tally. Today the party has perhaps come to realize that it is not easy to write off any politician, and that too Lalu Yadav, so easily. It is too early to predict the election, but there is no denying the fact that he is in the reckoning. It is the Congress, which is now ruing its decision to remain soft towards Nitish in the last five years.

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