After hitting bullseye in the state, the JDU has now set its sights on Uttar Pradesh, Bengal and Assam to participate in the coming Assembly elections in these states.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar has embarked on attending various socio-political and cultural programmes in these states to shore up the prospects of his party and top JDU leaders are in talks with different political parties to forge pre-poll alliances.
"Our party will participate in Uttar Pradesh polls. We have several friends, well-wishers, supporters in eastern parts of this neighbouring state. Similarly, we are active in Bengal and Assam, which are going to polls later this year. We intend to contest elections in these states too," JDU state president Bashishtha Narayan Singh told reporters.
He added that talks with various political parties to form poll alliances were in an advanced stage in these states, which would not be influenced by the existing Grand Alliance of the JDU-RJD-Congress in Bihar. "Various parties are willing to come with us in these states. This environment has developed after loss of the BJP at the hands of our alliance here. They now want to form a front with the JDU as an important constituent to tackle the pressing issues related to national policies, which are affecting their states. We are in talks with them and reveal our alliances once they are finalised," he added.
Bashishtha said Nitish was being invited by the parties and socio-political-cultural organisations, indicating their eagerness to connect with the JDU.
Nitish, on his part, has embarked on making his presence felt at these functions by attending Latia Mahotsav in Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. The event at Latia, famous for an Ashokan pillar there, was organised by Samrat Ashok Club to mark the birth anniversary of firebrand socialist leader Jagdeo Prasad, and was attended by around 50,000 people.
Jagdeo Prasad, belonging to the Koeri caste (counted among other backward classes), which traces its origin to Lord Ram's son Kush. The Koeris are present in sizeable numbers in eastern Uttar Pradesh along with Kurmi, a caste from which Nitish hails, and which traces its origin to Ram's son Luv. The JDU is eyeing this chunk of voters.
The move is in tandem with its intention to have a pan-Indian footprint - right from Manipur to Kerala - and emerge as a national party on the political horizon. JDU leaders said the party was already in talks with socialist minded leaders from Manipur and Assam to expand its base there. It is already spreading in Kerala with Lok Sabha member Veerendra Kumar acting as the party's state chief and K.P. Mohan functioning as agriculture minister in the cabinet.
"We have realised that the JDU can be a big party and we have received directions from our top leaders to make all out efforts towards it," a senior JDU leader, who did not want to be named, said.
With the new government settling down, the party is trying to strengthen internally also by welcoming leaders from the BJP and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular to strengthen its base.
A plan has been chalked out towards this purpose and put into motion with BJP leader and former MLA from Harsiddhi constituency in East Champaran district, Maheshwar Singh joining JDU along with his son Vijay Singh at a ceremony today. "Several other leaders from different opposition parties want to join the JDU. We are ascertaining their willingness to work to strengthen our party and will take appropriate decisions. We have also planned to welcome those JDU leaders who switched over to Manjhi's HAMS if they want to come back to our fold to make amends to the mistake they made," Bashishtha said.
The party, which is planning to change its "arrow" symbol in the near future, will hold its state executive meet on February 14 to discuss its future programmes, including membership drive and organisational elections.
