Patna,(BiharTimes): Within four days two unique functions was organized in Patna. The first one was organized on March 24 by Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) on the completion of 30 years of Nitish Kumar’s legislative career.

He entered the state Assembly for the first time after winning election from Harnaut on March 6, 1985. Incidentally, he lost on Janata Party ticket in 1977 though anti-Indira wave was sweeping the country. He lost again in 1980, both times from Harnaut.

The second function was organized on March 27 by the BJP to felicitate former deputy CM, Sushil Kumar Modi, for completing 25 years in the electoral politics. He became MLA for the first time in March 1990. He got elected on the BJP ticket from the then Patna Central constituency.

Union ministers Venkaiah Naidu and Radha Mohan Singh flew all the way from New Delhi to attend this function organized on a working day, Friday, and that too at the high time of the end of the financial year.

What is rather strange is that even in this era of celebrating anniversaries one hardly comes across any
function organized to felicitate 25 or 30 years of electoral politics. Yes, some times the completion of 50 years or Golden Jubilee are celebrated.

But in this election year these politicians love to be felicitated. What is surprising is that in the case of Nitish, not his party, but ADRI, a research institute, organized the show. On the other hand supporters of Sushil Kumar Modi wanted him to be projected as the CM candidate of the BJP. That is why the party never feted Ashwini Choubey, Prem Kumar or many others.

Thus in spite of RSS advising the BJP not to declare any CM candidate in Bihar both Naidu and Radha Mohan Singh publicly projected SuMo as the chief ministerial face.If all the parties start felicitating 25 or 30 years of electoral politics than perhaps no day would be left without having one such show.

There are several party-hoppers, who have much longer experience of electoral politics. For example, Union food minister Ram Vilas Paswan, entered the Assembly for the first time in 1969. RJD chief Lalu Prasad entered Parliament for the first time from Chapra in 1977 and JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav from Jabalpur in 1974.

While Nitish is fighting his last ditch battle to hold on to his post of chief minister, his former deputy, and now rival number-one, SuMo has gird up the loin to knock him out from the ring.Thus both the leaders are not leaving any stone unturned to woo voters by holding such functions.