With Nadda's Bihar visit, BJP lays groundwork for 2024 polls

After the party’s internal surveys last year showed a difficult trudge in Bihar following its split with the Janata Dal (United), the BJP has started poll work in the state by sending in president J P Nadda.

Signalling the party’s preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2025 Assembly elections, Nadda met booth workers and a host of party leaders in North Bihar, and held a rally, among other activities.

At a rally in Vaishali on Tuesday, Nadda fired a salvo at JD(U) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and said the BJP is relieved to move away from the alliance. “I don’t know why Nitish ji took the decision, but congratulations to him for it. The BJP wants to take Bihar towards development, and he has disrespected the people’s mandate,” Nadda said.

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Nadda also addressed the party’s booth workers and before leaving for the national capital, he held one more meeting with senior leaders.

State BJP leaders said the party has identified 10 'weak' Lok Sabha seats — Gaya, Vaishali, Kishanganj, Katihar, Munger, Jharjharpur, Supaul, Purnia, Nawada, and Valmiki Nagar. In the past, these seats were won with the help of the alliance partners.

The BJP plans to send central ministers and key leaders regularly to Bihar to engage the voters and the cadre.

After the split, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the state thrice, while this is Nadda’s first public programme. More such meetings across 10 key seats are in the offing.

A senior leader said the party is upbeat because it will not have to sacrifice 17 seats like it did in 2019. “We will contest all the 40 seats in the state, no alliance will be a hitch for us. If you look closely, there are lots of ifs and buts within the Mahagathbandhan — if the RJD and JD(U) take up 15 seats each, leaving 5 for the Left, does it mean that Congress will contest only 5 seats in Bihar? And with 15 seats, how does Nitish stake a claim on the PM’s post,” BJP Bihar spokesperson Nikhil Anand said.