The NDA’s campaign in the ongoing Bihar Assembly polls has been hit by Covid-19 and mounting worries over brewing dissatisfaction in JD(U) over allegations of BJP covertly backing Chirag Paswan and his Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) against chief ally and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The BJP’s biggest handicap in Bihar is the absence of Home Minister and the party’s chief strategist Amit Shah. Shah, who was down with Covid-19 in the run-up to the polls and was unable to camp in the State and supervise the minutiae of the campaign as he had done in most crucial elections over the last six years.

To top it, most of the campaigners — the BJP’s Bihar in-charge Devendra Fadnavis, Smriti Irani, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Sushil Modi, Shahnawaz Hussain, former BJP State unit President Mangal Pandey, several alliance MPs and campaigners including Muzaffarpur legislator Ajay Nishad, JD(U) MP from Sitamarhi Sunil Kumar Pintu et al — have been struck by Covid-19. Fadnavis and Hussain are still under treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

“I am going to be tested again today. I have been asked to self-isolate for two weeks if the test comes out negative,” Shahnawaz Hussain told BusinessLine .

Elders holding the fort

It has fallen to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to hold the fort in Bihar while the second rung of campaigners is either sick, convalescing or have barely recovered to campaign with full gusto.

Both the PM and the Defence Minister have addressed rallies in Bihar. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is nearing 70 years, is being careful about the campaign and restricts himself to a maximum of four poll rallies in a day.

Strife within

His chief rival and star campaigner for the opposition Grand Alliance – the much younger Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejaswi Yadav is addressing over 17 rallies in a day.

To top it, an audio of the JD(U) MP from Bhagalpur Ajay Mandal has brought out the fissures in the ruling alliance. In the audio tape, circulated enthusiastically by the opposition, Mandal is heard underlining that the JD(U) should work against the BJP. He is heard saying that the BJP has deliberately tried to mar the JD(U)’s chances by encouraging Chirag Paswan’s LJP in every seat which has been allocated to them. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi has since accused Mandal of “misleading” the voters and acting against the interests of the alliance.

A day ahead of the crucial second phase polling on Tuesday when 94 of the 243 seats in the Legislative Assembly will vote across 17 districts, there are questions within the rungs over whether the strategy to corner ally Nitish Kumar may drag the BJP too down a few notches in this complicated election.

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