Exit polls show Bihar polity on cusp of change

As the trends show, Tejashwi Yadav led RJD seems to have walked away with the cake

Bihar polity seems to be on the cusp of a change if the prediction of exit polls comes true on the counting day with basic issues of jobs and health care issues seem to have tilted the balance in the favour of RJD-led Mahagathbandhan.

As the trends show, Tejashwi Yadav led RJD, which was the first to make the promise of creating 10 lakh jobs at a time when the reverse migration of youths of the state back home from major cities in the country, seems to have walked away with the cake. Also the promise of farm loan waiver, which had done wonders for the Congress in Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in 2018 seems to have worked well in the agrarian state where 80 per cent population is based on agriculture.

Though BJP also later promised 19 lakh jobs if voted to power even as Nitish-led JDU refrained from any such lofty committment, RJD seems have reaped the momentum by then.

If the crowd of youngsters in the rallies of Tejashwi are to be taken out into account, and juxtaposed with the exit polls findings, clearly the new generation of Bihar did not buy this "Jungle Raj" versus the "Mangalraj" theme and refused to be drawn into 15 years of Lalu Prasad-led RJD versus 15 years of Nitish Kumar-led NDA.

Also the RJD acting on BSP formulae of fielding candidates from caste groups traditionally not supporters of RJD, have made some gains.