Amit Shah promises no Jungle Raj in Bihar, while Sainiks blacken BJP's face in Mumbai

Here's how NDA's flip-flops across states played out on October 19:

Act I:

Time: 10 am

Place: Patna

Occasion: Amit Shah addresses the press in Bihar

After two phases of the Assembly Election in Bihar, there were news reports that the BJP is trailing in the poll race. To boost the morale of their cadre and repair public perception, BJP's president Amit Shah addressed a press conference. Among the many issues raised by Shah was the erstwhile "Jungle raj". The BJP president was reminding the people of Bihar about the dark period that they witnessed under the Lalu-Rabri regime. It is said that kidnapping had become a flourishing industry and people refused to venture out after sunset even during festivals. The fear of goons was so deep that nobody bought a new vehicle, afraid that it would be snatched by goons. Another point Shah made was about the grand alliance of the JD-U, RJD and the Congress, which he said is trying to derail and divert development. The only driving force behind this alliance is to stay in power by killing ideology. The BJP chief said that Nitish kept talking about Lalu's Jungle Raj for 20 years and yet allied with him. Both Nitish and Lalu have overlooked the ideals of Rammohar Lohiya, Jayprakash Narayan and Karpuri Thakur, who stood against the Congress and later joined hands with the same party.

Act II:

Time: 10.30 am

Place: BCCI Headquarter, Wankhede stadium in Mumbai

Occasion: Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shahryar Khan’s meeting with BCCI president Shashank Manohar

While the BJP president's press conference was still on in Patna, around 70 Shiv Sena workers stormed into the BCCI office at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium to protest against a meeting of board chief Shashank Manohar with Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan. The meeting was to discuss the revival of cricketing ties between the two nations. Shiv Saininks were shouting "Pakistan hai hai" and carrying placards which said "Shashank Manohar murdabad", "Shahryar Khan chale jao". They gheraoed Manohar and flashed black flags to condemn the revival of bilateral cricketing ties between India and Pakistan. The talks now stand cancelled.

This is the second anti-Pakistan protest by Shiv Sena, close in the heels of the black paint attack on Sudheendra Kulkarni on October 12, to protest against the book release of former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri. Only a week earlier, Pakistani Ghazal singer Ghulam Ali's concerts in Mumbai and Pune were cancelled following the Sena's opposition. Evidently, while BJP President Amit Shah was promising to stop impending "Jungle Raj" in Bihar, his party's ally Shiv Sena was indulging in the same mobocracy. The BJP is not just a senior partner of the Sena, but also leads the Maharashtra government. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has issued few ritual statements against Sena and the police too have arrested few trouble makers. However, the government has failed to check Sena's "Jungle Raj' in Maharashtra.

In fact, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray met the six Shiv Sainiks who carried out the ink attack on Kulkarni and showered praise on them. This forces one to wonder if Amit Shah intends to implement the Maharashtra model in Bihar should BJP win the polls. If RJD's 15 year-tenure in Bihar was "Jungle Raj", by which yardstick is the Maharashtra governance model "Mangal Raj"? Why should Bihar vote for the BJP? As for Shah's criticism about the lack of ideology in the Mahagatbandhan, one is reminded that during the Maharashtra Assembly elections, PM Narendra Modi had dubbed Shiv Sena as "hafta vasool" party. The prime minister had similarly mocked Jammu and Kashmir's Mufti-Mehbooba team as "Baap-Beti ki Jodi (Father-daughter team)" ahead of elections in the state. However, the BJP allied with the "hafta vasool" party in Maharashtra as well as the "Baap-Beti ki Jodi" in J&K. If it Nitish-led grand alliance is devoid of ideology, so are BJP's alliances.

Now aren't the BJP president's calls to Bihar hollow? Isn't Shah terming the Mahagadbandhan opportunistic akin to a kettle calling a pot black? It seems like the choice for the people of the state is one between the devil and the deep blue sea.