The Hindu : Q & A: Nitish Kumar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 30, 2004

National

National - Elections 2004

Q & A: Nitish Kumar

'Fight is between the NDA and Laloo'

"Vikas key mazboot kadam, Aasha ki swarnim kiran, Nitish Kumarji key saath aagey bado (Nitish Kumar, the sure step of development and the golden ray of hope, Let us move forward with him)." This is how one campaign poster of the NDA's Bihar unit describes the Janata Dal (U) leader and Railway Minister. Obviously, the NDA campaign in the State revolves also around Mr. Kumar's image as "Vikas Purush" (development man). Venkitesh Ramakrishnan completed this interview with him in two parts. The first was in a meeting with him at Patna and the second over telephone from New Delhi. Excerpts:

Leaders of the JD (U) including you have been claiming that the NDA will improve upon its 1999 victory in Bihar. Still, we find George Fernandes changing his seat and you deciding to contest from two seats. Doesn't this reveal a sense of insecurity despite all the tall claims?

What insecurity? The party decided that I should contest from two seats and I agreed. Left to myself I would have contested only Barh. That is my griha kshetra (home ground), the place that made me what I am. The argument of a section of the media is that I am contesting Nalanda too because I got only a majority of [the] 1,300-odd votes at Barh in 1999. But these very people predict that the RJD chief, Laloo Prasad Yadav, will win from Madhepura though he lost the last Lok Sabha polls. This is indeed amazing logic. The truth is the party in its collective wisdom takes certain decisions keeping in mind its immediate objectives. Mr. Fernandes has also shifted bowing to the party's collective decision.

What do you think are the motivations of the "collective decision" now?

Each party weighs [the] various pros and cons in each constituency and takes a considered decision as to which candidate will help the party's cause most in a particular place. You will see how the understanding of the party is proved right as the campaign unfolds. At this moment I do not want to add anything more.

There is a perception that it is the departure of Ram Vilas Paswan from the NDA and the resultant loss of Dalit votes in Barh that has compelled you to decide to contest from Nalanda as well.

See, in Bihar these minor players (like Mr. Paswan) have no big role. The fight here is essentially between the NDA and Laloo Prasad Yadav.

The rest of the actors in the political theatre do not matter. I am not worried about all these factors that you are talking about.

So, once again the NDA campaign will revolve around what you call as "exposing Laloo's misrule"?

Certainly, that is part of the campaign. But unlike in 1999, we are asking votes from the people not only against the RJD's corrupt, dictatorial politics but also in support of the concrete, real development that [the] NDA has brought to Bihar.

All the Ministers of the Vajpayee Government from Bihar have done much more than the State Government. In fact, the thrust is on seeking this positive mandate for the continuation of the NDA Government at the Centre.

Does the situation on the ground actually justify your claims about the NDA Government bringing shine to Bihar? What one hears from rural areas of the State is that the Vajpayee Government has not done anything for the farmers and labourers; not even kept the promises made to the agricultural sector in general.

I do not disagree that there are some complaints from the rural sector. That the impact in this field is not as tangible as it is in other sectors ... It is also true that much more needs to be done in Bihar.

But there is also the angle that several of the Centre's projects were not implemented here just because of the apathy of the State Government. The people know that also.

How big a factor is development in Bihar's elections? The general perception is that most of the State's population is motivated by caste considerations.

Development is slowly but surely becoming an important element of Bihar's political discourse. No one can deny the NDA's contribution in bringing this agenda to the forefront. Now, even Lalooji is forced to go around the State laying foundation stones instead of merely talking about the izzat (honour) of one community or the other.

There is a view that in spite of the self-professed concern for development, Nitish Kumar is basically a Kurmi politician and works principally for the welfare of his own ...

The people of Bihar will give a fitting reply to those who make this baseless allegation. Nitish Kumar has worked for all the people of Bihar and will continue to do so.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National