NDA's Bihar test

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already declared that Nitish Kumar will continue as chief minister if the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) comes to power in Bihar in the elections, likely to be held October-November.

- ADITI PHADNIS

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has already declared that Nitish Kumar will continue as chief minister if the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) comes to power in Bihar in the elections, likely to be held October-November. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit chief Dilip Jaiswal has echoed this. The implication is that even if the performance of Nitish Kumar's party, the Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), is below par, the chief minister will still be Nitish Kumar.

Yet posters are up in Bihar: "Next CM, Chirag Paswan". Another one, in Hindi, says: "Na danga hoga na phassad hoga na baval hoga; kyonki hamara mukhyamantri Chirag Paswan hoga" (no more riots, no more violence, no more frenzy because our chief minister will be Chirag Paswan).

Chirag, the son of one of India's best-known Dalit leaders, Ramvilas Paswan, is not denying that he is ready and able to take on the job. He has declared that his thinking is different from that of his father, who opted to play a role in the politics of India rather than the state, becoming a Union minister under six Prime Ministers.