Sushil Modi: ‘Nitish aides approached Bihar BJP leadership over his wish to become Vice-President. This shows his national ambition’

We are stunned at what he did and the manner in which he broke up with us. When he had done so in June 2013, he had apprised the state and Central BJP leaders about his stand well in advance. So even if it was still betrayal of mandate for NDA, we could still say that we knew it. But this time, it was complete betrayal of mandate for PM Narendra Modi. The 2020 Assembly elections was not a mandate for Nitish Kumar as JD(U) had got only 43 seats and finished third after RJD and BJP.

Did the BJP try to placate Nitish or stop him? Or did your party just decide to move on?

Nitish Kumar should remember that we made him the chief minister five times since 2000. Even when JD(U) came third in 2020 polls, we kept our word and made him CM. Even after our recent two-day party meet, we said Nitish would continue to be CM till 2025. We also talked about going to the 2024 (Lok Sabha) and 2025 (Asembly) polls with JD(U). We had not sensed much discomfort in JD(U). Even when Union home minister Amit Shah talked to Nitish Kumar on phone Monday and asked if there was any problem, Nitish ji did not say anything and said ‘Just as you have Giriraj Singh in your party, we have Lalan Singh’. He had also dismissed media reports of JD(U) going to snap ties with us.

So what did Nitish really expect from the BJP?

Some of Nitish Kumar’s aides had approached the state BJP leadership with the message that he wanted to become the Vice-President. This shows Nitish did nurse national ambition.

Do you think Nitish did not have a smooth communication line with the current BJP leadership as he used to have with you as his deputy and the late Arun Jaitley?

It is not fair to say that, as only recently Dharmendra Pradhan held one-on-one meeting with him. Yet, Nitish did not complain much except making a passing reference to some grudges against Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha. Besides, PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah and our national president JP Nadda would speak to him at regular intervals. But it is true that he used to share a very good rapport with Arun ji and me. He would often say in recent times that he had become CM this time on the PM’s request and was not very comfortable in the present set-up. But there was no communication gap.

It could be because of his national ambition. He could have believed that it was not possible to fulfil his national ambition with BJP. By 2025, he could have served as CM for almost 19 years and we could have expected a graceful exit from him after that as 20 years as CM is a long time and very fulfilling and rewarding in politics.

What is your response to allegations that the BJP often tries to subsume its allies? Does the party need a fresh strategy to get new allies and retain them?

If one is referring to Shiv Sena and Eknath Shinde episode, one should know Shiv Sena was no longer our ally. And what would we have gained by breaking JD(U)? After all, it would have led to fall of our government as we have only 77 MLAs. And the insinuation of BJP trying to cultivate RCP Singh as an Eknath Shinde is preposterous as RCP is a bureaucrat with little political constituency and he cannot break JD(U) at all. What continues to nag Nitish is his party being reduced to 43 seats. He would often complain that it was sort of rejection by people. He is still not willing to accept this and decided to switch sides with hopes of staying afloat and relevant. But it is just a matter of time. He should start reading the writing on the wall given his multiple anti-incumbency and the fatigue factors. In fact, we are happy that we will go to the 2024 and 2025 polls without any anti-incumbency baggage.

Do you think Nitish can try to emerge as a nucleus of anti-Modi politics in 2024 polls?

It is not possible with the kind of image and overwhelming popularity Narendra Modi enjoys now. But everyone has the right in democracy to contest. One has to first see if there is a united Opposition. There are many claimants of PM position from the Opposition camp. There is Mamata Banerjee as well. There could be a few other names as well.

What is the BJP’s version of RCP Singh becoming the Union minister?

When the NDA decided to offer a single ministerial berth to its each ally irrespective of number of seats they won (in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls), Nitish had let go the offer saying there were too many ministerial claimants in his party. When BJP made the offer a second time, it was Nitish who had cleared RCP Singh’s name. The version he has been giving now is not correct and is borne out of his political constraints and kind of shrewd politics he does often.

You often agree that Bihar politics is a story of three pillars and when the two come together, they become unassailable. Now that BJP is all by itself, do you feel overawed by seven parties, the Grand Alliance constituents, coming together against the BJP?

Let me make it clear that the 2024 polls is not the 2015 Assembly polls when Nitish, Lalu and Congress had come together and defeated us convincingly. We had conducted five surveys before 2020 Assembly polls and found that Nitish’s popularity has been constantly on the wane. Plus, it is Modi who has now emerged as the voice of EBCs (Extremely Backward Classes) besides other social groups. If Nitish considers himself such a big stakeholder of EBC votes, why did he not get them in 2014 Lok Sabha polls in which JD(U) got only two seats. As for new allies, every party tries to look for new allies. We will also do so at the right time. It is not proper to name any party or leader who could be our allies in future.

Don’t you think Bihar BJP needs a face, if not for 2024, at least for 2025 to give some clarity to voters?

Narendra Modi alone is the leader. We did not project anyone in Tripura. We talked about Devendra Fadnavis as he was Maharashtra CM. We have state-wise strategy. Our next goal is 2024. Just that Grand Alliance looks strong socially on papers, it does not mean it would work greatly. Our party has covered a long way in terms of acceptability among all social groups and have big central welfare programmes besides a decisive and dynamic leadership at the helm whereas there is no Opposition leader at the national level.