Nitish's Adhikar Rally

Nitish Kumar’s statements at a huge rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi came in the backdrop of Narendra Modi’s likely projection as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate after the Karnataka assembly elections and equally strong signs that Kumar would walk out of NDA in such a scenario. Kumar, who has earlier expressed reservations about Modi in no uncertain terms, also used the occasion to challenge the Gujarat CM’s model of development.
“We will leave everyone behind and move ahead with development. And we will present a model before the world. These days development model is being discussed. We stand for inclusive growth. This model is what takes along everyone together. This is the real development model of India. Be it Hindu, Muslim, backward caste, dalits, women or men, everyone should develop together,” Kumar said in a clear reference to Modi’s reluctance to take special measures for minorities and Gujarat’s poor record on human development indices. The comments came a day after Modi showcased his growth story in front of a fawning, elite audience in Delhi.
Interestingly, the rally saw leader after leader from JD(U) calling Kumar ‘Vikas purush’ (development man)—a moniker appropriated by Modi in the recent past. The Bihar CM too went beyond his state, talking about how India could overtake China in development through inclusive growth and that his idea of development was not limited to urban areas.
Even at the rally, subtle signals were given about inclusion and secularism with several Muslim supporters lined up in the front row, a prayer sung in Urdu and a placard thanking the Bihar government for providing land to Aligarh Muslim University that Kumar did not forget to mention. Kumar also used the rally to keep the option of a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative open for the general elections.
Broadly hinting at a coalition of backward states, he said, “This is not a fight for Bihar but for all backward states. When all backward classes join hands with Biharis, who will rule Delhi (you can imagine).” JD(U) leader Shivanand Tiwari, speaking on the sidelines of the rally, only added to the speculation saying, “Backward states elect 291 MPs. Their demands can’t be neglected.”
The desire to forge a front of backward states (with West Bengal and Odisha) goes beyond the similarities of economic situation and takes into account a shared feeling of opposition to the Congress and inability to go with the BJP given the minority vote constituency in all these states (WB has 30% minority votes). As a secular satrap, Kumar hopes to attract such forces.
The massive rally also underlined Kumar’s success in grafting a pan-Bihar platform that cuts through the state’s notorious caste divisions. Bihar’s backwardness and demand for special status is an age-old issue and has been revived by Kumar for precisely this purpose—an imperative for a leader coming from a numerically weak caste as against the martial Yadavs, his rival Lalu Prasad’s core constituency. Although JD(U) sources said the rally was not for any partisan purpose, it reassures Kumar of a constituency on the development plank.

JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha said, “The success of the rally shows that the Centre can ignore Bihar’s demand at its own peril. This is not a political move but a call for Bihar’s growth. Political subtext should not be read into this.”
The confidence in such statements was only a reflection of how successful the rally had turned out to be. By the time Kumar arrived, Ramlila Maidanwas packed to the rafters with people climbing onto trees and craning their necks to catch a glimpse of their leader. Even conservative estimates put the crowd at over 50,000 .