The Bihar assembly polls proved the continuing popularity of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. In a record of sorts, he occupied the top chair repeatedly for nine times while it’s not clear whether a tenth innings is likely. The BJP scored four seats more than Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), which could give the saffron party the right to seek the lead role in government formation. But, in a similar scenario in the past too, the BJP obliged Kumar. The BJP this time has a tally of 89 against JDU’s 85 in a house of 243. Kumar, at 74, is not keeping good health, but he has the option to be a senior Union Cabinet member in the Modi ministry that his 12 MPs are propping up through vital support. But, moving away from his base and allowing someone else to be the CM could spell political doom for Kumar in the long run — and might prove to be advantageous to the Laloo clan and the RJD.
Kumar remained the reigning hero for nearly two decades through a mix of strategy, a willingness to change colours and a direct engagement with the ordinary masses, principally women. The alliance’s victory was thanks to the support it got from women – whose voting per cent this time was the highest-ever at 71. With large numbers of Bihar’s males working as migratory manual labourers in other states, women’s support turned crucial in every election. The offer of Rs 10,000 as financial support to women and several other schemes specially meant for them solidified their support to the alliance. The 2015 prohibition policy had already won Kumar laurels from women. Another major factor that might have helped in this landslide victory for the BJP-JDU alliance is the Election Commission’s revision of voters’ list that weeded out 4.7 million names. While the Congress blames this for the drubbing it and the RJD received this time, they are yet to prove wrongdoing or denial of voting rights to any genuine voter. The downfall of the Congress in Bihar has been a continuing process thanks largely to the degeneration of its organisational structure there, as also in UP, and elsewhere too.
The Bihar sweep has obviously given a morale boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. Had the verdict been against the saffron alliance in the state, chances are that the RSS would have been more emboldened to dictate terms with the prime minister. The Bihar elections would be followed by assembly polls in non-BJP ruled West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and Assam, the saffron citadel just months away. Curiously, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj party lost its deposit in nearly all of the over 230 seats it fielded candidates from. He had promised to exit from politics if Nitish Kumar’s party got more than 25 seats. Kumar, rather, had the right communal mix with him – his own BC base and the BJP’s wider, upper social segment. The CM’s simple styles, incorruptible image and direct appeal to the masses acted as steroids for him and the ruling alliance in this electoral battle.
