Patna,(BiharTimes): Former chief minister Nitish Kumar’s fortnight-long Sampark Yatra (Nov 13-28), which concluded in Punpun, about 20 km south of Patna, on Saturday was a significant departure from the past Yatras.After 2005 Nyay Yatra, which brought him to power, this was the first one which he undertook not as the chief minister of the state. There was no cabinet meeting in any village nor did he move with files and administrative machinery.

This time he tried to bridge the gap between himself and workers. He repeatedly conceded in his speeches that he did not pay enough attention to the Janata Dal (United) organization and workers. He has a regret too––that none of his party leaders gave him proper feedback that the JD(U) is going to perform so badly.

What he did not say is that, unlike in the past, he was not surrounded by the ministerial colleagues, bureaucrats and top police officials; thus got more opportunity to know the party workers and listen to their complaints. He said that this time he only met the party workers. He had now plan to address public meetings in all the 243 Assembly segments of the state.

True, unlike in the Adhikar Yatra he did not face the wrath of the people nor was he stoned anywhere as happened at many places, especially in Khagaria, where the husband of one of his party MLAs opened fire in the air to disperse the agitated para-teachers. This is simply because he is neither the CM nor was this Yatra meant for everyone––but just for party workers.

In more than one way this Yatra was very different. Though the repeated remarks by Jitan Ram Manjhi continued to embarrass him till the chief minister finally shared dais with him in Jehanabad and then Gaya on November 25 and 26 respectively.

Unlike in the past when he would highlight his government’s achievements and speak on the special status category this time Nitish adopted much more aggressive posture. He touched a variety of issues and literally taught the oarty workers how to expose the false election promises made by the prime minister. He did not shy away in taking the name of Narendra Modi and played latter’s Lok Sabha election speeches in all the places he went. In his speech he asked as to why prices of petrol, diesel, gas and kerosene have not been reduced by 35 per cent when it fell globally from $ 115 to 80 per barrel in the last four months.

He asked as to when would all the people get Rs 15 lakh as promised by Narendra Modi during his speeches. He read out the Union government’s letter which asked the states not to pay bonus to farmers.Nitish also highlighted as to how the Modi government did not increase the Minimum Support Price by 50 per cent as promised but by just three per cent––the lowest in the last so many years.

Similarly, he said as to how the new government stopped fresh appointment for full one year, when it came to power on the promise of giving jobs to all the youths of the country.

Though Nitish claimed to have addressed 214 public meetings on the run up to the Lok Sabha elections he was not systematic in his attack in the past. The problem is that then it was Manmohan Singh who was ruling the country and there was not enough ammunition––other than the charge of communalism––to fire on Narendra Modi.

Now that the Modi government has completed six months and have not come up to expectation on various fronts Nitish has enough points to corner it.

There is no doubt that on some of the issues the state BJP is on backfoot and a bit embarrassed.But Nitish’s problem is more within than outside. He might have formed a grand alliance with the RJD and the Congress and arithmetic-wise in much stronger position than the BJP-led alliance. But that is not all as much depends on the chemistry within the Janata Dal (United). Manjhi is becoming a sort of hot potato for him. Much depends on the way he overcomes the challenge posed by the chief minister.