Patna,(BiharTimes): The Congress party’s decision to give ticket to Jitendra Swamy, son of former RJD MP, Uma Shankar Singh, for Maharajganj by-election is being interpreted as the first step in the direction of JD(U)-Congress electoral understanding.

Political observers are of the view that by putting up a Rajput candidate the Congress party is deliberately trying to spoil the prospect of the local Rajput strongman Prabhunath Singh, who is contesting on RJD ticket. In 2009 he, as a Janata Dal (United) candidate, lost to RJD’s Uma Shankar Singh.

But Uma Shankar was upset when the same Prabhunath joined RJD on August 7, 2010––that is on the eve of the Assembly election.

Now on the run-up to the by-poll there is no dearth of people who is projecting it as a battle between Rajputs and Bhumihars. The Janata Dal (United) has put up state’s education minister and former advocate general, Prashant Kumar Shahi. Though he is new to the electoral battle––he became MLC for the first time only after becoming minister in 2010––he enjoys full backing of chief minister Nitish Kumar.

As Nitish has in recent months repeatedly shown his proclivity towards Congress the latter came to his help at the appropriate time by putting up a Rajput candidate to divide the caste votes.

Political observers are of the view that Congress has personal score to settle with Prabhunath too. When he was the MP of Janata Dal (United) he publicly criticized Sonia Gandhi, both inside and outside Parliament.

However, there is a general feeling that the Congress party has played a gamble. If it is trying to go close to Nitish it is playing a very dangerous game as the Bihar CM is fast losing popularity. The presence of such huge number of people at RJD’s Parivartan Rally on May 15 was a pointer to the fact that there is a general disenchantment with Nitish Kumar’s style of functioning.

Another factor, which is not being taken into account is the total indiffererence of the BJP. While senior Congress leaders, even Digvijaya Singh, is likely to campaign in the by-election none from the BJP has made any such announcement. The irony is that the JD(U) has not even asked its partner to support its candidate.

The BJP is a cadre-based party and its presence in the state can not be ignored. Bihar-watchers are of the view that if the Congress comes to the rescue of Nitish it would only earn a bad name.

At the time when Congress is losing its reputation all over the country the alliance with Nitish may further harm its poll prospect. There are many party leaders in Bihar, who do not trust the chief minister at all. They argue that he had betrayed Lalu Yadav for no rhyme or reason. He had done exactly the same to BJP though it did everything to promote him and rescued him from political death in mid-1990s. Any day in future he may ditch the Congress.

But then even if Congress facilitates JD(U) to win this by-election there is no guarantee that Nitish would really join hands with the UPA. In the last couple of years he had changed his stand so frequently that nothing can be said about him.

But Congress may be loser in another way too. The party may lose trusted friend Lalu Yadav for no big reason.