If Modi's gamble pays off, Nitish Kumar will be sane voice'

New Delhi/Patna: Sworn enemies have suddenly begun getting closer. That was the feeling in political circles with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar coming out in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s contentious demonetisation step.

Earlier, Mr Kumar was the first among the Opposition leaders to back Mr Modi’s surgical strikes against Pakistan. His support to the demonetisation scheme not merely raised eyebrows but also created rift in the Grand Secular Alliance. Mr Kumar’s close aides, however, said, that “there’s a method in his madness.”

Regardless of the tremors in the Grand Alliance, Mr Kumar, apparently nurturing Prime Ministerial ambitions, has been tacitly trying to project himself as the face for the non-BJP, non-Congress outfits.

Sources said Mr Kumar felt that demonetisation not only had “huge public support” but was also a major signal against corruption. It was claimed that at this juncture, Mr Kumar would not do anything which could possibly go against his clean image. It was this image which, his close aides felt, helped the JD(U) win the Bihar Assembly polls.

JD(U) spokesperson and party principal general secretary K.C. Tyagi had said that though the party was with the Opposition “on the demand for bringing normalcy to banking services, we fully support demonetisation move.” He said as Mr Kumar had also said that “lot more needs to be done to check black money, especially bringing back black money from outside the country.”

Asked about the party's earlier support to BJP on surgical strikes and whether the JD(U) was inching closer to the saffron camp, Mr Tyagi had said; “There is no question of going back with the BJP. But when Modi government takes good steps, we should support (it).”

At this juncture the race is between Mr Kumar and Trinamul supremo Mamata Banerjee to emerge as the face of the Opposition. Ms Banerjee has taken a more aggressive stance by going all-out against demonetisation. If in the near future Mr Modi’s gamble goes wrong, Ms Banerjee could surge past Mr Kumar. If the gamble pays off, though, Mr Modi will emerge virtually invincible, Mr Kumar would remain the “sane voice” in the Opposition.

A senior JD(U) leader said that the first acid test would be the UP elections next year. If Ms Banerjee was trying to whip up anti-Modi sentiment by holding rallies at Lucknow and Varanasi, Mr Kumar was quietly working on the possibility of striking an alliance with the RLD and the BSP.

The RLD along with Mr Kumar was working at what RLD chief Ajit Singh’s father and former PM, Charan Singh called “Ajgar” (python) formula, comprising the Ahirs, Jats, Gujjars and Rajputs. Some RJD leaders indicated that the Mr Kumar’s national ambition could possibly have an adverse impact on the grand alliance.