Will Bihar polls too give Delhi-type verdict?

As the electorate of Delhi gave a massive mandate in favour of their chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, questions are being debated here: Will Bihar too go Delhi way? Which precisely means: Is the ensuing Bihar election going to be a one-sided poll, given the fact that there is no credible alternative to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar?

The answer is: Yes.

If a fair analysis is done, one could find three prime reasons why Nitish is head and shoulders above his opponents in Bihar.

First, although it’s still seven months before the poll schedule is to be announced for the Assembly elections in Bihar, the BJP-led NDA has projected itself like a cohesive unit. The three partners—the JD(U), the BJP and the LJP—have stitched a formidable alliance with everyone, including the redoubtable Amit Shah, expressing implicit faith in the leadership of Nitish.

Secondly, with leadership issues settled, the NDA is now in poll mode and reminding its voters whether they want the Lalu-Rabri era of the 1990s or good governance established by an able administrator Nitish.

Third, despite complete decimation in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Mahagatbandhan is yet to overcome its internal bickerings and infighting with each of the five constituents trying to extract its pound of flesh whenever there is talk of pacts for the Assembly polls. The faction-ridden Opposition, therefore, puts Nitish in an advantageous position.

"We are asking the electorate that given a choice between Nitish and Tejashwi, who would you opt for," said Shyam Razak, the JD(U) general secretary and Nitish’s Cabinet colleague.

The Congress, an old ally of RJD, is, however, not very comfortable projecting Tejashwi as its chief ministerial candidate. Prominent senior Congressmen have confided with DH how the Mahagatbandhan could bite the dust if Lalu Prasad insists on projecting his son as the chief ministerial candidate.

"Times have changed. You cannot airdrop someone just because he is your son or daughter. The voters want a credible alternative to Nitish. It will be better if senior RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui, who has an impeccable record as finance minister in the state, is projected as the Mahagatbandhan face. This will make Muslims solidly support us. Besides, we have the mass base of Yadavs, Brahmins, Kushwahas and Mahadalits. Alternatively, Meira Kumar could be a credible face, thereby making us connect with women as well as Dalits," said a senior Congress legislator, refusing to be identified.

Political experts, however, differ. "Bihar polls will be a different ball game altogether. There is a complete vacuum in Opposition with no credible face against Nitish. And the faction-ridden Mahagatbandhan has further eroded its credibility. The voters today want a clear picture. As of now, they have no choice other than Nitish," says veteran social scientist Ajay Kumar.