DEFEAT OF BLUSTERING POLITICS IN BIHAR, A NEW DAWN OF GOOD GOVERNANCE: LALIT GARG

DEFEAT OF BLUSTERING POLITICS IN BIHAR, A NEW DAWN OF GOOD GOVERNANCE: LALIT GARG

21-NOV-ENG 20

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------The NDA's historic and unique victory in the Bihar Assembly elections has once again made it clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charismatic personality, Home Minister Amit Shah's electoral strategy, and his popular acceptance still play a decisive role in Indian politics. This victory is not just the success of an alliance, but signals a new future for Bihar. Nitish Kumar's experienced leadership, the BJP's organizational strength, and the impressive performance of rising young star Chirag Paswan combined to turn this election into a landmark election for the NDA. Ten key promises underpinned the NDA's victory, including the Panchamrit Guarantee, employment generation, free education, schemes for women, agricultural reforms, and infrastructure development. This election was also significant because Bihar saw the highest voter turnout since 1951.

This time, Bihar recorded a voter turnout of 67.13 percent, a 9.6 percent increase from the previous assembly elections. Women's turnout was 8.15 percent higher than men's. This time, men's voter turnout was 62.98 percent, while women's was 71.78 percent. Bihar has 35.1 million women voters and 39.3 million men, with a total voter turnout of 74.5 million. Latest trends from the Bihar assembly elections show the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) crossing the 200-seat mark, with women voters playing a crucial role in this mandate. It appears that the trust of Bihar's women has been unilaterally won, the NDA has triumphed, Bihar has triumphed, and the grand alliance's rhetoric has been defeated.

The Grand Alliance's crushing defeat raises many questions. Crowds certainly gathered at election rallies, and sharp attacks were made in speeches, but the opposition failed to win the public's trust. Ambiguity in leadership, a lack of strategy, and the absence of a concrete vision for development and good governance led the public to believe that a change in power would lead to uncertainty, not stability. The Grand Alliance repeatedly invoked social justice and old slogans, but today's Bihar expects more from them—employment, security, law and order, and continuity of basic services. The opposition failed to present a clear and credible roadmap on these issues. This is why its leaders' rhetoric failed to resonate with the public and, in many cases, backfired.

In contrast, the NDA woven its election campaign around the theme of "stability + development." Modi's nationwide acceptance, the central government's public welfare policies and schemes, and Nitish Kumar's image of good governance assured Bihar voters that this alliance was the perfect blend of experience, trust, development, and policy firmness. Nitish Kumar may have been criticized for several political turns, but in the public's mind, he retains the image of an administrator who has long strived to advance Bihar in areas such as law and order, women's empowerment, road construction, and education reform. This image benefited the NDA significantly. The BJP's organizational machinery achieved effective and targeted outreach to the polling booths, strengthening voters' confidence that coordination between the central and state governments would accelerate the pace of development.

A major highlight of these elections was the rise of Chirag Paswan. He proved that he was not a "pawn" but a decisive player in the future. His aggressive and confident campaign energized the youth and Dalits. His role within the NDA was not merely symbolic, but possessed a genuine support base and influence. His remarkable seat holdings signaled that he could redefine Bihar politics in the years to come. It's also true that his growing popularity could pose a balancing act for Nitish Kumar, but if the alliance maintains coordination, Bihar could benefit from strong leadership.

The most important question now is which direction Bihar will move in after this historic victory. Public expectations are high: a safe society, a sensitive administration, curbing corruption, and a rapid pace of development. Law and order has been a sensitive issue in Bihar politics. People want improved crime control, a modern and accountable police administration, and expedited judicial processes. The NDA, with its resources and political strength at both the central and state levels, is expected to take concrete steps towards writing the "second chapter of good governance." The BJP has not only emerged as the largest party, but even without the JDU, it appears to be crossing the magic number with other NDA allies. Consequently, it is no longer easy for Nitish Kumar to negotiate with the BJP in Bihar. The BJP's top leadership has repeatedly reiterated that Nitish Kumar will remain the face of the alliance, regardless of the election results. The JDU has also reiterated that Nitish Kumar will be the Chief Minister. Currently, women voters are being touted as game-changers in this election, and this was achieved by the Bihar government transferring ₹10,000 to women's accounts under the Women's Employment Scheme before the Bihar elections. Meanwhile, the Grand Alliance has suffered a major setback in the elections.

Undoubtedly, the Bihar voter has appeared more vigilant and discerning in these election results. He understands that a change of power is inevitable. More important are cultural change, political purity, development, law and order, and administrative accountability. This election has not only decided assembly seats, but also ensured that the people of Bihar will emerge from their old shadows and move towards light. While there has been talk of backwardness, corruption, and anarchy in Bihar, no path has been shown to overcome these increasingly complex problems. The people of Bihar have developed a new kind of trust in Modi. Bihar has significantly overcome the period of misery experienced under previous governments, and conditions here have changed significantly over the past two decades. This election result is also surprising because of the announcements made by the Nitish Kumar government. For the first time, such announcements have been made for women, the disabled, and the elderly.

This electoral mandate must be viewed not only through the lens of political dominance, but also through the lens of public trust. This victory is both an opportunity and a challenge for the BJP, JDU, and LJP (Ram Vilas). Now they must prove that the brilliance of election slogans can endure even in the light of governance. By rejecting the grand alliance's lofty rhetoric, dynastic claims, and the bitterness of its loudmouth leaders, the people of Bihar have sent a message that they demand stability, honest leadership, and assurance of development. These election results have once again dealt a crushing defeat to the Congress, a major cause for introspection for the party. This NDA victory marks not just a change of power, but the dawn of a new destiny for Bihar. Now let's see whether this dawn truly shines or proves to be merely a political glimmer.