The Bihar assembly polls will be quite different this time for the reason that three stalwarts will be missing from the scene that is currently building up there. A new generation of leaders are entering the fray and leading campaigns as well.
With the demise of Ram Vilas Paswan, a vacuum has been created in state politics where he reigned as the principal voice of the Dalits through the Lok Janshakti Party. Bihar strongman and RJD leader Lalu Prasad is in jail since 2017 over the fodder scam and other cases, while Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, who broke ranks with Nitish in JDU, is not keeping good health.
As the campaign shapes up, the JDU and BJP entered into a seat-sharing formula in which the former will contest 122 seats and the latter 121 seats. Once the results are out, the CM’s post could be open to bargaining by the two sides. The BJP won more seats than the JDU in the Lok Sabha polls in the state last year; but regional equations will be different. Lalu Prasad in jail means his family will run the campaign; and Paswan’s son Chirag who is an MP from the state is leading the LJP campaign. His acceptability as the party’s central command might be open to question also as his mother hails from Punjab and hence a dilution of the local Dalit identity. However, at the moment there is no other strong leader for the party. It will be keenly watched as to how Chirag’s popularity as a former Bollywood actor will impact his campaign in a positive manner, likely drawing support from non-Dalit voter bases too.
In the RJD-Congress alliance, the former will contest 144 seats and the latter 70; showing the weak positioning of the national party. However, the stepping in of actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha to help power this alliance’s campaign on behalf of the Congress leadership could be of some help to the anti-Nitish-BJP alliance in the state. In between these two formidable alliances will fall the LJP that is fighting the polls alone. It might be waiting for a split verdict to assert its bargaining power.
From the RJD, Lalu’s two sons – Tej Pratap and Tejashwi Prasad – are entering the fray and could lead the campaign from the front. In the caste-riven state politics, how the two young faces together with LJP’s Chirag could promise or thwart a generational change in Bihar politics will be worth watching. Looks like Bihar might witness a many-sided battle of dynasties.