New Delhi, April 2 The BJP has recalibrated its caste calculus in Bihar to cut into Nitish Kumar's vote bank, and is now fully geared up to take on the grand alliance government in Bihar .
The biggest challenge before the Bharatiya Janata Party currently is the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
By defeating the grand alliance government of JD(U)-RJD-Congress and other parties, the BJP wants to create an atmosphere in its favour for the Assembly elections to be held in the state in 2025.
To win, the BJP has now set its sights on the vote bank of its long-time ally Nitish Kumar.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is the strongest party within the grand alliance government headed by Nitish Kumar, and the BJP has realised that to increase the party's base in the state, or rather, the way to its victory is to cut into Nitish Kumar's vote bank.
Kumar has been Bihar's Chief Minister for a long time with the BJP's support on the strength of non-Yadav backward class, Dalit community and a large section of the middle class, especially women, but is currently being backed by the RJD for the Chief Ministerial position.
After the Yadav community, the Kushwaha community is Kumar's biggest and most solid vote bank. Their population in the state is 8 per cent.
The BJP recently appointed Samrat Chaudhary, who belongs to the Kushwaha community, the state president of the party. BJP has been attacking Kumar saying that the members of the Kushwaha community have always supported him, while he has only cheated them in return.
The saffron party also wants to send a message to the Kushwaha voters of Bihar, that people from the Yadav and Kurmi communities have held the Chief Ministerial position almost always in the state and now someone from their community should be the Chief Minister.
Along with the Kushwaha community, the BJP is also trying to connect with some of the extremely backward castes in the state, whose number may not be very large according to the election strategy, but would prove to be beneficial in making the party win if they are united, which is also why the saffron party has started targeting small political parties having caste base.
Under this strategy, the BJP has been eyeing several leaders such as Chirag Paswan, Upendra Kushwaha, Mukesh Sahani and Jitan Ram Manjhi, among others.
The BJP has been strategising to win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with the support of these small parties.
The saffron party has also been cornering the Kumar-led government in the state on issues of failed liquor ban and deteriorating law and order situation among others.
In an attempt to woo the voters of the Kurmi community, the BJP has appointed Nityanand Rai as the Minister of State for Home Affairs in the Government of India.
BJP has been making efforts to create a strong vote bank by including the extremely backward castes, by which it can defeat the grand alliance government with a thumping majority.
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