ANDALIB AKHTER
THE two so called Champions of Muslims, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Lok Jan Shakti Party supremo Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday announced formation of a “rock solid” alliance to over through the Nitish Kumar’s government in Bihar. They have even revealed their plan of formation of government. The alliance projected Lalu Prasad Yadav as its Chief Ministerial candidate while Pashupati Kumar Paras, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan’s brother as the Deputy CM candidate.
With this announcement, the alliance closed the door for a Muslim to be a chief minister or deputy chief minister of Bihar. The new coalition has shattered the dream of those Muslims who were dreaming to see a CM or dy CM from their community by the grace of Lalu and Paswan.In the process of making their alliance solid like rock both the leaders seemed to have forgot the political importance of the community in the state. The community makes over 17 per cent of state electorate and has a population of 1.5 crore. The Muslim voters could be sizeable and decisive in at least 70 Assembly constituencies.
Both the leader must not forget that it is the Muslim community on which they are banking upon to overthrow JDU-BJP raj from the state. During the press conference to project their solid tie up they even forgot to mention Muslims.
Lalu, who and his wife ruled the state for 15 years unhindered only due to full backing of Muslims across the state and his downfall in state began in 2005 only when LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan played the political plank of making Muslim chief minister in the state. A large section of Muslim get attracted towards Paswan call, much to the distress of Lalu. At that time Paswan was not ready for anything less than a Muslim chief minister. He played all tactics to demoralize Lalu Yadav in the state politics and in the process he succeeds too. Today Lalu has only four MPs in Lok Sabha including himself. No Muslim could get elected on Lalu’s party ticket in the Lok Sabha polls.
But when it comes to a ‘solid alliance’ Paswan could not get a Muslim candidate even for the deputy chief ministership. The latest decision by both party have left many questions before the Muslim community. They are forced to think that they have no place in the nepotism of top leader of the state.
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