How Nitish Conquered Bihar

Bihar, synonymous with lawlessness and caste politics just five years ago, today wears a new look. From better healthcare to improved education, Bihar now has everything it needs for it to prosper.

How did this metamorphosis come about?

The able Nitish Kumar has given Bihar a much needed makeover. Under his charismatic leadership, the JD(U)-BJP alliance has pulled up the sagging fortunes of the state.

Nitish Kumar, who took over as Bihar’s CM in 2005, turned the state’s economy around: it went recorded 11.35 per cent growth every year between 2004 and 2009, as compared to 3.5 per cent in the prior five years.

After his win, Morgan Stanley Research said: “We believe the Bihar election results underscore the upside risk to India’s growth and development, given what we view as the electorate’s resolve to incentivise politicians who focus on these issues.”

Common citizens think Nitish Kumar has a comprehensive vision, and is not focusing only on the state’s capital Patna. Even in remote places like Chapra and Barauni, people are saying development is even.

His landslide win has shocked Lalu, but the people of Bihar knew Lalu’s days were counted. Nitish Kumar has given them citizens the safety they crave for. After coming to power, he locked up 50,000 criminals, which made common citizens, especially women, feel safe.

Another example of his farsightedness was his gifting of four lakh bicycles to girls in rural Bihar to help them cycle to schools and colleges.

It was not easy for Nitish Kumar to break the grip of caste over Biharis. Over 15 long years,
they had lived with the complex arithmetic of caste and social engineering equations. Nitish Kumar managed to break all myths of caste politics but without seeming like a hard leader.

A seasoned and down-to-earth man of simple tastes, Nitish Kumar, delicately balanced the interests of his party JD-U and the BJP. He has managed to carry people along, even in the absence of populist views on job reservations for OBCs and Dalit Muslims.

Did women play a major role in Nitish securing a second term? Yes, it did. They went out in hordes to vote for him. By reserving 50 per cent seats for women in panchayati raj institutions and giving them a role in decision-making, Nitish Kumar has won the confidence of women in Bihar. His first tenure as CM created a fear-free environment, and influenced women to give him their vote.

Has Nitish Kumar changed the way Indians vote? A difficult question to answer, but one thing has changed for sure – the mango people now want to see development and growth. They want the same lifestyle as people in the metros, and they refuse to be trapped in the politics of caste and religion.

Nitish Kumar’s votes came from all communities, and not just one, a sea change in a state where votes had always been divided on caste and religion lines.

Nitish Kumar managed to do the impossible: he he routed Laloo Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal and Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, parties that had once enjoyed full control over Bihar.

How did Nitish Kumar pull this off? The answer is simple. He made development his agenda, and it worked. He was careful not to make the same mistakes as Lalu-Rabri. In fact he learned what not to do from them.

After living in fear for more than 15 years, people had been fed up of Lalu and Rabri’s jungle raaj. Nitish Kumar’s arrival as CM re-established law and order, and the bonus was that he started building good roads.

He convinced people of the seriousness of his effort and the sincerity of his intent. This is the reason he managed to cut through Bihar’s thick caste politics.

In all this mayhem, there is a lesson for all our netas: playing the caste and religion card is not enough to get voted to power. The ‘aam aadmi’ does vote for growth and development, and not just for some sectarian cause.