(This story originally appeared in on Oct 24, 2015)

TNA: Days before polling for the crucial third phase in Bihar, the BJP poached Bhim Singh, an important leader of the 'extremely backward castes' (EBCs) from JD(U) while making it clear that it was all set to project PM Narendra Modi as the tallest "backward leader".The induction of Bhim Singh midway through the polls is to make an important statement to the coalition of castes which is expected to make the difference between victory and defeat.In the process, the party blinked on Modi's scathing criticism of Bhim Singh, a one-time aide of CM Nitish Kumar and minister in his government, for making light of the killing of a jawan in cross-border shelling by Pakistan in 2013. Congress attacked the BJP for what it called "opportunism", with party general secretary Shakeel Ahmad saying Modi had before the 2014 elections called Bhim Singh "shameless".However, BJP did not seem fazed because Singh's induction is laden with symbolic value. Besides a signal to EBCs who together account for one-fourth of the electorate, the party also values the move as a refutation of the claim of its 'secular' opponents of a consolidation of 'backwards' against the BJP, a prospect that will mean the electoral annihilation of the party.Significantly, while announcing Bhim Singh's entry, Sushil Modi flaunted Narendra Modi's accomplishment as the first 'EBC' politician to become PM on the strength of his appeal among people."It is for the first time that the PM has come from the EBC group. Unlike H D Devegowda, Narendra Modi did not become PM because of deals brokered among others or any hidden cunning. He owes his position to support and affection he received and still enjoys among all sections of people," Sushil Modi said. The statement came two days before the Prime Minister is set to revive his election rallies, and was seen as indication that his 'OBC' persona may now be more on display in the remain ing three phases. Modi belongs to the Teli community which was recently declared an 'extremely backward caste'. READ ALSO: ?BJP tsunami will sweep Nitish, Lalu away, says Shah.Sushil Modi, himself an OBC, also said the BJP had more leaders from among the EBCs than Nitish could boast of. "There is no prominent EBC face left in the JD(U) after Bhim Singh joined the BJP. The BJP has several EBC faces -Prem Kumar, Ram Chandra Chandravanshi ( Jharkhand minister) and now Bhim Singh," Modi said. He accused Nitish of ignoring EBCs and said the BJP had given more tickets to them than the RJD-JD(U)-Congress alliance.Sushil Modi said the rival alliance was also bereft of important Dalit leaders. "There is no Dalit Mahadalit face in the JD(U) and grand alliance. We have Ram Vilas Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi," he said. On PM Narendra Modi's EBC connection, he said, "EBC and Dalits are solidly behind PM Narendra Modi. We made PM from the EBC section."