Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, August 20
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has clarified that Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) case has nothing to do with Bihar assembly elections.
JDU will not take political mileage of the Supreme Court orders on SSR case, Nitish said, setting at rest speculations about NDA taking advantage of the sentiments.
The Supreme Court order allowing CBI to proceed with the investigation of the case registered at Rajivnagar police station in Patna is being seen as a logical end to the Bihar government action to satisfy the family of the film hero. DG of Police Gupteshwar Pandey confirmed it when he claimed it was because of the chief minister, Nitish kumar that an FIR was registered and recommendation for CBI probe made.
Bihar assembly elections are scheduled to be conducted in October-November as the term of the present House expires on November 29.Campaign in limited scale due to lockdown restrictions, Corona virus and floods in North Bihar will commence next month. Peak will reach in the second week of October. By that time, the Bihari identity (Ashmita) campaign over SSR will subside.
Bihari nationalism movement which started in the last week of July following registration of an FIR has reached its peak with the cry for CBI investigation now over. Movement will start subsiding down now, leaving little scope for the NDA to exploit public sentiments.
In Bihar, all elections are contested on caste and sub-caste considerations only. Lalu Prasad Yadav talked of social revolution, but narrowed down to Muslim and Yadavas combinations during the elections. Nitish Kumar had started his campaign for social justice and inclusive growth, but he too confined himself to up gradation and uplift of Kurmis only, which is evident from the prominent positions in the party and the governance given to the Kurmis only.
The Rajput constitutes about 5 per cent of the total electorate and has influence confined to about 50 of the 243 constituencies. They have six members in Parliament from Bihar and 22 in Bihar assembly.
Rajputs are already supporters of NDA, be it in BJP or JDU. State president of JDU Bashistha Narain Singh is himself a Rajput.
The Bihari identity sentiments generated over SSR death would be confined only to the Rajput electorate and much difference is not expected as they were already with the NDA since 2010 elections.
For the last couple of weeks, a strong campaign was made by Bihar leaders for CBI probe into the SSR death case. Bihar forgot the achievements of the CBI in two important cases handed over to the CBI for investigation.
Brahmeshwar Mukhiya, head of the Ranveer Sena, of the upper castes Bhumihars was gunned down at Ara, 50 kms from Patna in 2012.Case was handed over to the CBI. Little progress made so far.
Another case of disappearance, kidnapping and murder of a minor girl Navruna at Muzaffarpur in 2009 too was given to the CBI. No one arrested with the CBI seeking court’s permission for extension at every date.
The main accused in Shrijan bank scam of Bhagalpur is still traceless though the case was given to the CBI five years back.
