Giriraj Singh challenges, Nitish Kumar to contest against PM Modi from Varanasi

Patna: Union Minister Giriraj Singh has thrown down the gauntlet, challenging Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi. This challenge came in response to a statement made by senior Bihar Minister Shrawan Kumar, claiming that, "At the behest of Yogi Adityanath, JDU was denied permission by a private inter college to hold a political rally on December 24."

Singh, while criticizing Nitish Kumar, stated, "I have inquired from the DM of Varanasi, and nobody has created hindrance in his proposed rally. The JDU was not able to mobilize a crowd for the rally; that is why the rally has been canceled. If Nitish Kumar has the courage, he should contest against PM Modi, like Kejriwal did."

Speculations have been growing in recent months that Nitish might contest from the Phulpur Parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh, once represented by India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. The JDU has been strengthening its cadres in UP, especially in areas with a significant presence of Kurmi voters, the caste to which Nitish belongs.

Bihar Minister and JDU in-charge of UP, Shrawan Kumar, alleged that the college authorities were under pressure from state government officials not to allow Nitish Kumar to hold a political rally in Varanasi. He stated, "It's a murder of democracy in UP, and there is a dictatorship in the state. We were to hold the rally in a private college named Jagatpur Inter College ground. Despite promises, the college authorities kept us waiting for five days before saying No to us and refused to allot the ground for Nitish Kumar's rally because of the pressure from Yogi Govt."

The JDU will soon announce a new date for Nitish Kumar's public meeting in Varanasi. Nitish Kumar is making an outreach in UP to galvanize the Kurmi voters, which have a sizeable presence in the state. There is a growing demand for Nitish Kumar to contest from the Phulpur Parliamentary constituency, dominated by Kurmi voters. However, in the recently held assembly elections in the Hindi heartland of MP, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, the caste politics of Rahul Gandhi was overshadowed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development model.