Nitish (above), Lalu

Chief minister Nitish Kumar’s decision to resume Seva Yatra from Gopalganj — the native district of his arch-rival Lalu Prasad — on May 1 after a break of almost six months has fuelled curiosity in political circles amid speculation over the longevity of the JD(U)-BJP alliance.

A senior JD(U) leader furnished two broad reasons for Nitish’s foray in “Lalu land”. First, the recent electoral success. Second, Gopalganj had never been the karambhoomi (work zone) of Lalu. Rather, it has become the stronghold of the NDA of late.

Nitish had suspended his Seva Yatra in September last year to begin the Adhikar Yatra for inviting people to Adhikar Rally here on November 4. He, however, had to suspend it midway in October in the wake of violent opposition in Khagaria, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Begusarai and East Champaran districts.

He would resume his Seva Yatra from Gopalganj on the May Day. Then he would proceed to Sitamarhi.

Citing reasons why Nitish opted for Gopalganj to resume his Sevea Yatra, the senior JD(U) leader said it had become a stronghold of the NDA, which won all the six seats in the district in the 2010 Assembly polls. Besides, the JD(U) had won the Gopalganj Lok Sabha seat in 2009 despite the NDA losing all other Lok Sabha seats — Vaishali, Saran, Maharajganj and Siwan — on the Vaishali-Chhapra-Siwan-Gopalganj stretch.

Despite being his home, Gopalganj has seldom been the political “karmbhoomi” of Lalu. He began his parliamentary career by winning the Saran (then Chhapra) Lok Sabha seat in 1977 and kept on contesting from Saran, Madhepura and Patnasahib Lok Sabha seats and Sonepur, Raghopur and Danapur Assembly seats.

Unlike Nitish, who had over six lakh Kurmis (his castemen) in his native district of Nalanda and kept on contesting from Nalanda, Barh and Harnaut (all in the same geographical region, south of the Ganga), Lalu never found the caste equation conducive for him to pick up his native district for his political operations.

The other factor that could have goaded Nitish to pick up Gopalganj as the venue to resume his Seva Yatra is the sizeable presence of the social groups he has been nursing as his support base. The district has about 25 per cent of Muslims. It also houses several Koiris (a non-Yadav OBC), Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs) and Mahadalits (lowly among the SCs). The Gopalganj Lok Sabha seat was declared reserved for the SC in 2009 because of the numerical preponderance of Mahadalits.

Moreover, the JD(U) sources revealed, Nitish might use his Seva Yatra in Gopalganj to look for options. The incumbent JD(U) MP from Gopalganj, Purnamasi Ram, is believed to have become a rebel, warranting upon Nitish to find out his “alternative”.

Besides, the BJP had won three of the six Assembly seats in Gopalganj. He would have to spot the suitable JD(U) candidates for these seats in the event of the party snaps ties with the BJP, a party source said.