Patna,(BiharTimes): Though the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal have questioned the timing of the BJP leader Sushil Modi’s claim that more than 50 Janata Dal (United) legislators are in touch with his party, political observers are of the view that the former deputy chief minister has said so keeping in mind the election in rest 13 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar.

As the statement came just a day before voting for seven seats––including that of Saran and Hajipur, from where Rabri Devi and Ram Vilas Paswan respectively are contesting––are to take place, it can not just be rejected out of hand by stating that it is ill-timed.

True the BJP has taken into account the post-poll scenario SuMo by making such a claim want to convey to the supporters of the Janata Dal (United) that it is futile to vote for the party, whose future is so bleak. So this is the last minute bid to woo more and more votes, especially that of the JD(U) to its side. The party knows that it is fighting the parliamentary election in which the RJD- Congress combine has emerged as the real rival and not JD(U) yet it is not making any last minute effort to attract the supporters of the former. This is simply because the saffron party feels that the JD(U) voters can more easily be attracted than the M-Y combination of RJD-Congress.

Save Seohar in none of these seven seats the BJP won in 2009. The sitting MP, Rama Devi, is once again contesting the election. While four others were bagged by the JD(U) and two––Saran and Maharajganj––by RJD. 

This is not the first time that Sushil Modi or any other BJP leaders has claimed that a large number of JD(U) MLAs are in touch. But in the last 10 months no split has taken place in the JD(U). 

However, in future no such possibility can be ruled out and much depends on the result of the Lok Sabha election. 

But the question is why SuMo talked about 50 MLAs and not 75 or 80 as for a formal split in the legislative party at least two-thirds MLAs should come together. JD(U) has at present around 115 legislators and 50 MLAs would not serve the purpose. So by stating that 50 are in touch the BJP only wants to encourage split in the JD(U).

But analysts are of the view that much depends on the election results. Some of them are of the view that there are still a large number of MLAs who are loyal to Nitish and are hopeful that JD(U) would bounce back in the Assembly election next year.