Being ambitious is not a crime. But one has to keep it in mind that ambitions rest on two pillars. Reality and ability. If one wants his dreams to be fulfilled, he should judge his abilities, as well as what the situation demands. Otherwise, throughout life, one has to withstand the pain of unfulfilled dreams.
Same is the case with Bihar Chief Minister and Janta Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar. There is no doubt about Nitish Kumar’s quality as a politician. Over the years, he has proved himself as a good administrator too. But are the two qualities enough to propel him as a challenger to Narendra Modi in 2019, when the next General Elections will be held in the country. It’s a pity that without finding the answers of this question, Nitish Kumar threw his hat in the ring and as result is now at the mercy of other non-BJP political parties.
Beyond doubt Narendra Modi’s rise in Indian politics is phenomenal. But there is no certainty that lady luck will smile on everyone in the same manner. Narendra Modi was benefitted from the fact that before 2014 General Elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was desperately looking for a leader who could take them to victory. Many may argue that BJP could select Lal Krishna Advani, the maker of modern BJP, as its leader. But one should not forget that under Advani’s leadeship, BJP fought two General Elections. On both occasions, BJP could not win. So soon after the defeat at the hustings in 2009, both the Rashtriya Swangsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP was looking for a new leader. Secondly, Modi was greatly helped by the ineffectivenes of the then incumbent Manmohan Singh-led UPA Government. More, corruption charges against the said government seemed to be unending. All the factors together made Modi’s rise possible.
But Nitish Kumar’s case is different. Firstly, like Narendra Modi, the Bihar Chief Minister is not a leader of any national political party. JD (U) is in true sense is a Bihar-based regional party. The party has virtually no presence in any other states of the country. Besides, even in Bihar also, the party on its own are not in a position to win elections. Thus, since day one of becoming the Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar has led a coalition government. Sometimes he aligned with BJP and sometimes he joined hands with the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Prasad Yadav.
So, if someone advises Nitish Kumar to do a reality check before joining the fray, he or she should not be blamed. There is nothing wrong in nourishing the dream of becoming the Prime Minister of the country. But it is wrong to dent the opposition unity on being denied the chance and joining the ruling camp. It only paints Nitish Kumar as a power-hungry politician, who never hesitates to change camps for his own sake. But why blame Nitish Kumat only? It is unfortunate but true that today India is full with such type of politicians, who always put their interests ahead of national interest.
