Did sidelining MP Sushil Modi cost BJP power in Bihar?

Hours after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dumped ally BJP, experts look back to understand what led to change in the state’s political landscape.

Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Modi is known for mastering the art of defeating opponents with his ability, research, aggressive strategy, and key information in Bihar. There’s never a day when Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Modi is not active on Twitter. He keeps an eye on his opponents and as soon as he finds strong evidence against their wrongdoings, he goes public.

Modi has the ability to place his fact-backed opinions about any national and regional issue. The Opposition also discussed Sushil Modi’s marginalisation in Bihar politics many times. Eventually, the BJP high command sent him to the Upper House. But as soon as he left Bihar, the political scene of the state changed entirely. Even Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said, “If Sushil Modi had been there, the matter would have been different.”

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Do you remember the barrage of allegations against former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad’s family? At that time, Nitish Kumar was a part of the Grand Alliance. Sushil Modi used social media and press conferences to divulge information about Lalu Prasad’s unaccounted property. The party leadership at the Centre had to accept the ability of Modi, who was the target of the Opposition in those days. However, Sushil Modi was again sidelined and not allowed to stay with Nitish Kumar as his deputy CM.

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Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad’s family will never forget the day of April 4, 2017, when the first case of illegal sale of a piece of mall land to Patna Zoo came to light. Sushil Modi held a press conference with evidence alleging a soil scam. By the time the investigation started in the case, Sushil Modi arranged complete details of the illegal property of Lalu’s family from other sources.

Sushil Modi continued his attacks. In his press conference on April 11, Modi attacked the Lalu family and said it was just the beginning and the revelations were yet to come. In his press conference on May 5, 2017, Modi said Lalu's eldest son Tej Pratap Yadav had wrongly taken the allotment of the petrol pump. Soon, agencies became active and legal action started. On May 8, Sushil Modi alleged that Nitish Kumar will not leave Lalu Yadav's side. In his press conference on May 16, 2017, Sushil Modi made serious allegations against Lalu’s family and disclosed several illegal companies and assets.