‘Bhumihars did not support Nitish…’, JDU distanced itself from Ashok Chaudhary’s statement, BJP said- such a thing should not even come to mind

Bihar government minister Ashok Chaudhary recently made a controversial comment on the Bhumihar caste during the inauguration ceremony of the Janata Dal United (JDU) regional office in Jehanabad. Chaudhary said, “I know the Bhumihar caste very well. When the Lok Sabha elections took place, people of this caste deserted Nitish Kumar and ran away.” He was suspended from his own party for this comment.

This statement of Chaudhary has created a stir in Bihar politics. He also added that if a candidate does not knock on people’s doors two-three times, he is considered bad, but if the same candidate belongs to Bhumihar caste and has never done this work, then he is considered good. He made this comment in the context of JDU’s extremely backward class candidate not getting support from the Bhumihar community in the Lok Sabha elections.

JDU MLC Neeraj Kumar reacted sharply to Choudhary’s statement. He said, “Nitish Kumar never does caste politics. No one has the right to interfere. Political hatred is not a part of our working style. People like Nitish Kumar ji. Ashok Choudhary should avoid such statements.” Neeraj Kumar also reminded that Choudhary has a 39-year relationship with Nitish Kumar and the Chief Minister does not consider caste a factor. He also questioned Choudhary about what he did as the party’s election in-charge in Katihar Lok Sabha elections and how many days he spent in the area during the election campaign.

BJP MLC Sarvesh Kumar Singh also reacted to Chaudhary’s statement. He said, “BJP works for all communities. People from all communities vote for us. We have become the biggest party because everyone votes for us. Where did this news come from that Bhumihars did not vote for JDU, don’t know who is saying what. Such things should not come to the mind of leaders. A leader works with all castes and communities, not just one caste community.”

Ashok Chaudhary’s statement has raised a new controversy in Bihar politics. Both JDU and BJP have put forward their views. On one hand, the demand for caste census is gaining momentum, while caste-based remarks can stir up politics. This situation can prove to be important in the context of the upcoming elections, in which caste equations and election strategies will play a major role.