Teaming up minority parties: A takeaway from Bihar polls

CHENNAI: The Bihar Assembly election results has rekindled the debate on the role of Makkal Nala Koottani, an umbrella collation comprising Left parties and the VCK in 2016 State Assembly elections, and the necessity of major parties to recognise the smaller parties which represent Dalits and minorities. 

The prevention of consolidation of Dalits and minorities against the ruling government in Bihar  has seemingly helped the BJP retain power along with the Janata Dal (United). The Congress, which faced the elections allying with Rashtriya Janata Dal and a few others, has managed to win 19 seats out of 70 it contested. 

The Congress has openly blamed the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), the Hyderabad-based party that represents Muslims, of playing spoilsport to the RJD-Congress alliance in the Seemanchal region by splitting anti-incumbency votes. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, incumbent MP of Hyderabad, had been vociferously opposing the CAA, the NRC and the NPR. 

However, the AIMIM had fielded candidates in 20 constituencies and won five of them. Though Owaisi denied the allegations of being BJP’s ‘B’ team, a thin victory margin in over 20 constituencies has just brought the vote-splitting theory into the fore. Similarly, Dalit votes have also been seemingly scattered, thanks to the multi-corner contest. Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, which left the NDA recently, contested in 137 seats, but managed to win just one, while another Dalit party, Hindustani Awam Morcha, won in four seats staying in the NDA. Mayawati’s BSP, which faced the elections alone, bagged one constituency. The Left parties emerged victorious in 16 out of 29 seats they contested.  

The 2016 State Assembly election also witnessed a similar scenario. Six parties, including the MDMK, the VCK, the CPI, the CPM and the TMC formed an alliance called MNK headed by Vijayakanth’s DMDK. 
Though the alliance didn’t register a major victory, it secured 6.1 per cent votes. At present, barring the

TMC and the DMDK, the other four parties are in DMK-led alliance. 
Insiders in DMK say the MNK had ruined the opportunity of the DMK capturing power in 2016. However, the Dravidian major has buried the hatchet with the MKN and is planning to repeat 2019 Lok Sabha victory in the 2021 Assembly elections. “The core ideological issues such as reservation, State’s rights and NEET have been dominating the political discourse for the past few years and it will remain an electoral issue. Since it’s more of an ideological battle than electoral, smaller parties with anti-BJP agenda may join with us” said DMK senior functionary. 

CPM politburo member G Ramakrishnan said defeating the BJP-AIADMK government will remain the top priority of the DMK-led alliance. “The Left parties have proven their presence in Bihar winning 16 seats out of 29.”