VIP chief Mukesh Sahani
Credit: Facebook/Mukesh Sahani
New Delhi: A week ago, Mukesh Sahani was almost at the exit door of I.N.D.I.A bloc miffed at the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for not giving any clarity on the seats it could contest in Bihar elections. Walking out of an RJD-led alliance at the last minute was nothing new for Sahani as he had done the same five years ago.
Cold political calculations prompted the opposition alliance – battling internal strife with partners at each other’s throat over seats – to make a surprise announcement of Sahani as their Deputy Chief Ministerial face on Thursday despite earlier indications that RJD was in mood to do so.
Sources said one of the reasons for succumbing to Sahani’s pressure tactics was the 2020 election numbers when the Grand Alliance fell short of 15 seats with a gap of just around 12,700 votes. With the boatmen-fishermen ‘Nishad’ community with around 20 subcastes having votes, specifically in northern Bihar as well as inland, I.N.D.I.A managers felt that it was foolish to give it on a platter to rivals.
On Wednesday evening, sources said, Sahani, who was smarting under the snub by the RJD that made him wait till the last minute, raised the mercury level in the alliance by demanding that he be announced as a Deputy Chief Ministerial face along with Tejashwi Yadav, who would be named Chief Ministerial face.
Sahani’s argument was that he had compromised a lot for the unity of the alliance by reducing his demand from Deputy Chief Ministership and 60 seats to 30 seats and later settling for 15 seats and an MLC seat. His non-insistence for Deputy Chief Ministership while settling for 15 seats was a ploy to use it at a later stage.
Sahani, known as ‘Son of Mallah’ who lost both the elections he fought, insisted that such an announcement – a bone of contention in 2020 too that led to his walk out from the RJD alliance and entry into the NDA – would send a positive signal to the Nishad community to which he belongs. He raised the bar by insisting that his presence at the joint press conference is linked to him being named Deputy CM face.
RJD, suspicious of Sahani since his 2020 manoeuvre, was not enthusiastic but as he unveiled his bargaining chips, CPI(ML)L General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya once again played the peacemaker, as he did last week when he made Rahul Gandhi intervene in favour of the VIP chief for ensuring his stay in the bloc.
Sahani, who designed shooting sets for Bollywood hits like Devdas and Bajrangi Bhaijaan before entering the world of politics, had then sent a letter in separation, insisting his loyalty to the bloc’s ideology and his strong desire to remain with them. Rahul dialled Patna where a compromise was reached.
Bhattacharya spoke to RJD and Congress leaders and left it to the wisdom of RJD, which on Thursday morning gave its stamp of approval. “The decision was RJD’s as it felt that there is more to gain than losing,” a senior leader said adding RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad also appeared to have seen the benefits of naming an EBC leader as Deputy CM.
Political life has turned a full circle for Sahani, who formed Sahani Samah Kalyan Samithi in 2010 and later Nishad Vikas Sangh before setting up VIP in 2018. He supported the BJP in 2015 only to change colours to join RJD-led Grand Alliance during 2019 Lok Sabha elections only to walk out to join hands with JD(U)-NDA a year later and rejoin RJD alliance now.