Modi's visit to Patna highlights Nitish's credibility problem

It’s possible to feel a little sorry for Bihar chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Not because it was under his vigil that the Lok Sabha election of 2014 turned bloody, through a series of bomb blasts that could well prove to be a decisive turning point in the run-up to 2014. Not even because the chief minister known for his skill as an administrator is now tying himself up in knots attempting to take on Narendra Modi at the cost of appearing jealous (his own party man’s word, not ours) of Narendra Modi and lacking any vision for his state or the country. [caption id=“attachment_120406” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photograph of Gandhi Maidan after Sunday’s rally. PTI[/caption] Nitish Kumar appears a likely candidate for sympathy because he’s the first leader who was actually considered as a viable face to lead the Third Front but has now completely lost the plot to the Modi juggernaut. Investigations into the serial blasts are continuing, with one more arrest made in the wee hours of Thursday. But the Bihar government continues to wear its dazed face, making no clear statement on either which way the investigation is headed, whether they have a roadmap to dismantle terror training infrastructure known as the Darbhanga module of the Indian Mujahideen or even how they plan to provide justice to the families of those who lost life and limb in the attack. With the political season only beginning, a plan to ensure absolute security at every rally in the state in the coming months, however small or big, at any location and by any party would have been a welcome, proactive move. Instead, local activists of the Janata Dal (United) have spent their energies protesting Modi’s proposed visit to the families of those bereaved in Sunday’s bombings. The Bharatiya Janata Party and its prime ministerial candidate have, unsurprisingly, played their cards much, much better. The BJP called for a day of condolence on Wednesday, a symbolic but much appreciated gesture of reaching out. The party reportedly even announced a payment of Rs 5 lakh to the five families that lost a loved one, to help complete the last rites. Meanwhile, a phalanx of Congress leaders joined the odd, agenda-less Modi-bashing – Salman Khurshid stating that Modi is contrary to the “idea of India”, Kapil Sibal calling him the eternal opponent minus a vision, other leaders even likening the Gujarat chief minister to Hitler and Amit Shah to Goebbels. But more than all the others, it is Nitish who has lost personal goodwill and stature, has made  it apparent that he and his party, and indeed the rest of the third front, does not really have a plan to counter Modi’s seizing of the dominant political discourse. Just days after accusations piled up of his government pussyfooting on issues of terror training by the Indian Mujahideen module in Darbhanga and Samastipur, reports now show that Nitish’s government has been unable to crack down on Maoist violence as well. The report says there has been a declining trend in Maoist violence elsewhere, but Bihar is emerging as a bridge for Nepal’s Maoists. Nitish could have been setting the national agenda right now, showing what an able administrator can achieve, promising to root out terror from once lawless Bihar. Instead, he is reacting not once but repeatedly to Modi’s barbs on Sunday. The BJP team has, meanwhile, moved on to their next idea, Vallabhbhai Patel. And then the next, a chopper visit to the city where he was reportedly the target of an assassination attempt only days back.