With the Bihar assembly election schedule announced, the stage is set for a multi-polar contest on November 6 and 11, and the results will be out on November 14.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, people of Bihar want change and November 14 will mark the end of two decades of Nitish Kumar’s rule.
BJP leaders claim, Modi magic will again work wonders in Bihar, while allies Jitan Ram Manjhi and Upendra Kushwaha promised they would stand with NDA.
Both the BJP-led NDA and RJD-led Mahagathbandhan are yet to work out seat sharing among their constituents. RJD’s ally Congress is yet to publicly accept Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial face. Congress wants to contest 70 seats this time, but Tejashwi is unwilling.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Janata Dal(United) is working on a focused strategy with ally BJP. They are focussing on direct benefit schemes for women, unemployed youths and other sections of society. Two hours before the Model Code of Conduct came into force, Nitish Kumar transferred Rs 10,000 each into the accounts of 21 lakh women in Bihar.
Ten days before the poll schedule was announced, Nitish’s govt transferred Rs 10,000 each to the accounts of 75 lakh women. On October 3, another 25 lakh women got Rs 10,000 each. In all, 1.21 crore women have got money in their accounts by now. Nitish Kumar has promised to give free electricity to poor families in his next tenure.
Summing up, Nitish Kumar has emerged as a big factor in Bihar elections. He was being made the butt of jokes when opposition leaders alleged that he is suffering from frequent amnesia, unable to recognize people and fumbles when he speaks.
But in the last few weeks, looking at the manner in which Nitish announced new schemes and sent direct money transfer to the accounts of women, who can say that Nitish Kumar is unable to run a government?
Nitish Kumar’s biggest advantage is, he has the powerful BJP with him. BJP’s problem is, it has no leader of stature in Bihar, whom it can project, but BJP relies on Modi’s magic : his image and his achievements. That is the biggest strength of BJP.
On the other hand, RJD only has the face of Tejashwi Yadav and the solid voter vase of Yadavs and Muslims. But for the first time, in an assembly election, Lalu Yadav’s family appears to be divided. This is going to harm RJD.
For Tejashwi, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi is a big headache. In the last assembly elections, Owaisi had inflicted heavy losses on RJD in the Muslim-dominated Simanchal region.
Another new player in Bihar elections is Prashant Kishor with his Jan Suraaj party. His chances can be compared to a closed fist. For the last three years, Prashant Kishor had been touring villages and towns of Bihar. No other leader in Bihar had done so much toil as Prashant Kishor did.
Prashant Kishor, with his background as a political strategist working for different parties, knows how to contest elections. He has no past baggage with him.
If the electorate in Bihar casts its vote based on merit instead of caste, Prashant Kishor can turn the tables on others. All other parties are now fearing Prashant Kishor. Nobody knows who will win.