DNA Edit: The loneliness of Sharad Yadav

In politics, friends and foes often change places with one another. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s recent political trajectory testifies to this age-old wisdom. Sensing that his alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD only works to erode his political capital, Nitish astutely jumped ships and grafted himself to the Bihar BJP.

Meanwhile, it is JD(U)’s senior party leader Sharad Yadav’s career that has fallen by the wayside. Recently, at a function, Yadav boldly declared that the original JD(U), along with other secular forces will form a government after the next general election. These are tall claims made all the more incredible when the Rajya Sabha members of the JD(U) booted  out Yadav as their leader and replaced him with RCP Singh, another senior leader from the party. Yadav’s current position is unenviable. Barring two Rajya Sabha MPs, namely Ali Anwar Ansari and Virender Kumar, no other MP or MLA has openly pledged his support for Yadav.

Reportedly, the JD(U) had sensed the unease of Yadav in joining forces with the BJP. Other leaders of the JD(U) had anticipated that Yadav was most likely to make public his comments against the newly formed alliance and were prepared to take action against him. Now, many in the party indicate that Yadav is actively trying to stitch together an alliance with the RJD. Irrespective of how that turns out, one must take a moment to understand that it does not take long for the tables to turn in politics.