A Morass of Lies, Deceit and Red Tape

The state of affairs in Bihar today is such that the state will have to wait for a very long time before any semblance and safety can be delivered to its people

- Mohammad Sajjad

IN the 2025 Bihar assembly election, the incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is seeking reelection by building a narrative of “Jungle Raj” around the Lalu Yadav-Rabri era (1990-2005).

This time, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA hasn't been able to project its own chief ministerial face. Their incumbent chief minister, Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), is evidently not keeping well, in terms of health. It is largely believed that Nitish is suffering from dementia. For the first time, Nitish has been reciting brief written texts during public meetings.

Conversations and discussions with the electorate from across castes and classes and across the sub-regional and (dialect-based) variations in the poll-bound provinces clearly suggest that the upper castes, more importantly the Rajputs and Bhumihar-Brahmins (Babhans), are more desperate to bring back a regime led, dominated and hegemonised by the BJP with an upper caste chief minister. However, they don't feel it electorally prudent and wise to be explicit about replacing Nitish Kumar, still a formidable vote-catcher, prior to the polls. Overall, it seems that the NDA will get its votes and support from across castes and communities. Of course, it is also quite visible that the Yadav and Muslim (MY) votes would go to the NDA, but in a very small measure. Significantly, Nitish Kumar is cultivating a support base among the women and his cash transfer scheme of Rs 10,000 to women seems to be working in his favour. Overall, the saffronisation of the sociopolitical and administrative spaces and the rising anti-Muslim hatred are another electoral advantage for the NDA.