'Nitish Is Bribing Voters Because He Is Desperate,' Says Mukesh Sahani, Vowing Nishads Will Rule In 2025

In Bihar’s season of slogans, Mukesh Sahani’s voice stands out for its mix of defiance and drama. The Vikassheel Insaan Party leader, once an ally of Nitish Kumar and now the deputy CM face of the Mahagathbandhan, speaks the language of social justice with the metaphors of the river people he represents. In this conversation with Mohammad Ali, Sahani likens Modi’s outreach to a fisherman’s bait, calls Nitish a tired leader, and insists that Bihar’s backward castes “can’t be fooled anymore.”

Q: PM Modi is reaching out to the EBCs of Bihar. His government awarded the Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur, and the campaign was launched from Karpoorigram. Do you think backward groups are responding to this strategy?

Mukesh Sahani: I am from the fisherman community. In order to catch fish, we put food on the hook. Now, we can’t say that we are doing a favour to the fish — it’s a trick to catch it. Similarly, PM Modi is not doing us a favour by giving the Bharat Ratna to Karpoori ji; he is using it as bait to trick us into giving him our votes.

We know how Mr Modi’s ideology once used the nastiest casteist slurs against Karpoori ji when he became Chief Minister. They would tell him he was from a barber caste and had no business becoming CM. There were insults I cannot even repeat on camera. So, the backwards of this state understand the BJP’s tricks now. They can’t be fooled anymore.

Q: Have you thought of supporting or joining the NDA?

MS: If Modi ji includes the Nishad community in the Dalit reservation category, I will pledge him my life — let alone my support. But I also know they will never do such a thing. They have only been fooling us.

Q: Don’t you think Nitish Kumar has done development work in Bihar?

MS: To be honest, he did some work in the past. In 2005, people felt he should be given a chance. In 2010, he indeed brought development to the state. In 2015, he became CM with Lalu Yadav’s support because he had nothing of his own. In 2020, he somehow became CM again with the support of the BJP and the VIP.

But now there is a wave of change across the state. People want to see the INDIA Alliance in power. They want a government for social justice.

Nitish Kumar hasn’t done any work in the last few years. He has nothing to show for it. That is why he is desperate — literally bribing voters by announcing money-transfer schemes just hours before the election dates were declared. Money is still being transferred to voters even as polling is underway.

Also, Nitish Kumar is unwell; he cannot be given responsibility for the entire state.

Q: Are you confident that your community will get justice and reservation under a Mahagathbandhan government?

MS: I am part of the INDIA Alliance because only this alliance will ensure that people from all sections get participation according to their population. Reservation is our right, and we will get it. Nishad ka beta kisi se darne wala nahi hai; 2025 mein sarkar bhi banayega aur apna haq bhi lega! (The son of the Nishad will fear no one; in 2025, we will form the government and claim our rights.)

Q: You were declared the Deputy CM candidate of the INDIA Alliance. Were you surprised by that?

MS: No. We have been fighting for our rights for years. The fact that I was declared the Deputy CM candidate only shows that our hard work has borne fruit.

Q: Some people say a Muslim face should have been declared Deputy CM candidate since the Muslim population is larger than the Mallah community. What’s your response?

MS: Those who accuse the alliance of ignoring Muslims should look at its history. Muslims have always been an important pillar of this alliance. It’s not true that they have been ignored. This is just the beginning. When we win the elections and form the government, the Muslim community will get more than adequate representation.