In the lead-up to the announcement of the Lok Sabha election dates, the last week has seen a fierce exchange over the issue of nepotism in Bihar's political battle. The controversy was triggered by RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav's statement questioning the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's family, which was then countered by BJP's response.
Lalu Yadav's Direct Attack on Prime Minister
The grand alliance rally on 3rd March in Patna's historic Gandhi Maidan was a stage for Lalu Prasad to launch a significant attack on PM Modi, questioning his family-less status and even branding the Prime Minister as a non-Hindu.
BJP's 'Modi's Family' Campaign
In response to Lalu's attack, BJP snatched the opportunity and initiated the 'Modi's Family' campaign, turning it into their weapon. Within 24 hours, BJP leaders from all tiers began the campaign on social media, adding 'Modi's Family' to their profile names.
In Bihar, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary also joined the cause, claiming that the nation's 1.4 billion citizens are Modi's family.
Prime Minister Modi Responds to Lalu Prasad
Following Lalu's attack on familial politics on 3rd March, PM Modi responded the next day at a rally in Telangana. The Prime Minister declared that India's 1.4 billion citizens are his family, in essence, Modi's family.
Prime Minister Modi Targets the Lalu Family in Bettiah
After his visits to Bihar on 2nd March, PM Modi again toured the state, stopping in Bettiah on 6th March. In the rally, without naming Lalu Prasad or his family, Modi blamed a single family for the 'Jungle Raj' in Bihar and indicated that this family prospered in the last 15 years, suggesting they are accountable to the people.
PM Modi subtly conveyed that one family is Bihar's culprit and that the public won't forgive them.
Chirag Increases NDA's Tensions
On the other hand, NDA is visibly struggling with seat allocation disagreements. Even now, no announcements have been made, and it is believed that the clash between Chirag Paswan and his uncle Pashupati Paras is causing a stalemate in NDA's seat distribution.
Insiders suggest that while Chirag Paswan seeks 6 Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat, Pashupati Paras is demanding 5 Lok Sabha seats for his party. The internal strife, coupled with Nitish Kumar's re-entry into NDA, has put Chirag in a tight corner. A decision from Chirag Paswan is expected within a day or two, regarding whether he wishes to remain in NDA for the Lok Sabha elections or consider an alternative.
