Nitish Kumar plans series of rallies in Uttar Pradesh ahead of assembly polls in the state

LUCKNOW: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is intensifying his campaign in Uttar Pradesh and has plans to address a series of rallies in the election-bound state over the coming months. The Janata Dal (United) leader, who was in Mirzapur on Saturday, has already done three rallies in UP since February. Another three are planned for July and more after that. “We will now intensify our campaign and at least two dozen rallies will be held in the next few months,” JD(U) general secretary KC Tyagi said.

Kumar’s victory in last year’s Bihar polls, where he frequently traded barbs with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saw him emerge as a pivot for anti-BJP forces nationally. He has since been trying to expand the JD(U) outside Bihar, with many seeing him as a prime ministerial hopeful in 2019. At Mirzapur, he attacked the Modi government, saying it failed on all fronts, and accused the BJP of trying to polarise the electorate eyeing the UP polls.

He said UP’s ruling Samajwadi Party and BJP were feeding each other for political gains, and that BSP chief Mayawati was known for corruption. He said the JD(U) would get UP rid of such parties. JD(U) strategists are eyeing the Kurmi votebank, of whom Nitish Kumar is seen as the tallest leader.

Kurmis, numbering about 6-7% of the population, forms the second largest OBC community in UP. But Tyagi said it is not about a single caste. “Kurmis see Nitish Kumar as their tallest leader, but we are not focusing on caste alone.”