Big Political Move in Banka: Nitish Kumar’s “Homeopathic” Action Targets MP Girdhari Yadav

Patna, Bihar: In Bihar’s political corridors, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s subtle “homeopathic” style of political management has once again made headlines. This time, the focus is on JDU MP Girdhari Yadav from Banka, whose influence within the party appears to be gradually eroding. Political observers believe recent public events have offered a clear glimpse of this strategic sidelining.

The Mandaur Mahotsav and Bausi Fair Incident

The effect of Nitish Kumar’s “homeopathic treatment” became evident at the Mandaur Mahotsav cum Bausi Fair. The fair was supposed to be attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Sinha, but both skipped the event. The real sign of political maneuvering became visible on 14 January, the opening day of the fair.

As per the schedule, MP Girdhari Yadav was to preside over the inauguration. During the session, NDA MLAs were invited to speak first. After the legislators delivered their addresses, Yadav moved to the microphone for his presidential speech. However, Manish Kumar, MLA from Ghoraiya, left the stage midway, followed by Belhar MLA Manoj Yadav and Amarapur MLA Jayant Raj. Observing this, BJP legislators Ram Narayan Mandal and Puran Lal Tudu also exited, leaving Yadav with only a handful of supporters in the hall.

A Clear Boycott

This coordinated departure by legislators has been widely interpreted as a subtle boycott against Girdhari Yadav. Belhar MLA Manoj Yadav clarified that he left because the right to inaugurate the fair belongs to the local MLA, but the event’s schedule had the MP presiding and inaugurating, which led to his exit. Other JDU and BJP legislators also used prior commitments as reasons to leave early.

Reasons Behind the Friction

Reports suggest that Yadav fell out of favor with the JDU leadership after opposing the SIR project, which gave the opposition an opening. Another trigger was his son, Chanakya Prakash, joining the RJD. By accepting RJD membership and contesting elections from Belhar, Chanakya Prakash created a political conflict: father in JDU, son in RJD.

Despite returning from London with high political ambitions, Chanakya Prakash lost the Belhar election, receiving approximately 78,000 votes against JDU candidate Manoj Yadav’s 115,000 votes. This episode further fueled perceptions within JDU that Girdhari Yadav was acting against the party’s interests by supporting his son’s campaign at the expense of the party candidate.