Patna, June 16: "Secular versus communal" issue to oppose the BJP would be a thing of the past, as the RJD-JDU alliance has planned something different this Assembly polls.

Unlike the past trend of accusing the BJP of being a communal party, the two alliance partners intend to rake up economic issues vehemently. The strategists of the two parties are of the opinion that an overdose of "secular versus communal" issue could ultimately help the BJP, which might use it as a ground to polarise voters on religious grounds.

"Something similar had happened during the Lok Sabha elections last year and we were caught unawares while the BJP went on to polarise voters on religious grounds. We shall be more careful this time and focus more on the failures of the Narendra Modi government in general and his failures to meet the aspirations of poor people in particular," an RJD insider told The Telegraph.

Going into specifics, he said issues like farmers' suicide, false promises made to the youths and adopting a working style more beneficial for capitalists would be raised in a big way.

What he revealed became clear during a meeting of the party functionaries of the Patna division held here on Monday addressed by Lalu Prasad. The RJD chief specifically told them to spread the word about the BJP's failure to honour its promises made regarding bringing back black money stacked in foreign banks, not depositing Rs 15.5 lakh in the bank accounts of each citizen of India and failing to provide employment to five crore youths. He also urged his workers to highlight issues like fund cut in welfare schemes, including Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act. "Attack BJP on these issues," Lalu told his party workers. The farmers should be informed about how they would be "deprived" of land ownership once the acquisition bill becomes an act, he added.

The ruling JDU, too, has planned somewhat similar strategy. Unlike the Lok Sabha elections when the party attacked the BJP as a party out to divide the society, the JDU apparatchiks are being briefed to highlight the achievements of the Nitish Kumar government and the failures of the Modi government to fulfil the promises made by the BJP to the people of the state.

"It is not that we are afraid of BJP polarising the elections on religious grounds if the secularism issue is highlighted in a big way, rather it has to do with the interest of the people as economic issues are such that concern one and all irrespective of caste and religion," said one of the JDU office-bearers, defending the party's strategy to highlight economic issues.

The JDU leader said step-motherly treatment meted out to Bihar by denying central funds due to the state would also be highlighted.

Professionals assisting Nitish in the campaign strategy have urged the chief minister to draw lessons from Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi and refrain from harping on the communal issue and focus instead on "good governance" under him in the past 10 years. The advice is based on different surveys conducted in Bihar, which have shown that Nitish was the most preferred choice for chief minister because of the turnaround in the state's fortunes under his leadership.

The professional advice to Nitish is clear that if he harps too much on "secularism and communalism" then the BJP under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah would gain, said a JDU leader. "We have seen how Sonia's ' maut ka saudagar' remark against Modi in Gujarat helped him," the leader said.

Veteran socialist leader and former MP Shivanand Tiwari, who decided to quit active politics last year, appeared unimpressed with the agenda of the RJD and the JDU. "Nitish has burnt his hands by staging a flop show during general elections when he tried to rake up people's support by raising the special status issue. I don't think such issues will catch the attention of voters in Bihar during the Assembly polls," Tiwari said.

The BJP appears to be more than happy with the strategy of its political opponents. "Downplaying of issues like secularism would help us in the end as it won't galvanise Muslims much who, otherwise, may go for aggressive voting against us," a BJP senior leader, who requested anonymity, said.

Additional reporting by J.P. Yadav in New Delhi