A rainbow coalition triumph

THE BIHAR ELECTION RESULTS OWE TO FACTORS BEYOND CASTE AND COMMUNITIES THAT REFLECT TRUST

- BADRI NARAYAN

THE PEOPLE OF Bihar have given a clear mandate to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, the landslide win cannot be explained fully if it is viewed from the lens of caste alone. Such a victory is delivered by factors that go beyond castes and communities.

Public emotion may be one such factor. A majority of Bihar’s voters betrayed a sympathy as an undercurrent which may not have been gauged by psephologists and political analysts. In the run-up to the polls, the sympathy wave was earned by incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as a result of the constant dismissal of his relevance or even physical ability to rule Bihar by the likes of Tejashwi Yadav from the Opposition alliance. Secondly, Kumar established a connect with women voters who decided against risking a change of guard and backed a leader who has empowered them. Their sense of identity, dignity, and confidence persuaded women voters to safeguard the current political regime. The developmental benefits also led sections of the people to vote for the NDA.

Broadly, the key factors driving the NDA’s electoral performance were crafting a cohesive social combination, development-based politics, and the trust values of the leaders and politics on Bihar which the winning alliance has evolved over the last couple of decades.