GRIPPING CONTEST
THE WEEK India|May 05, 2024
The fight between the NDA and the INDIA bloc is the most intense in Bihar
PRATUL SHARMA
GRIPPING CONTEST

TEJASHWI YADAV IS writing a tell-all book. It might include the details of what made Nitish Kumar switch sides (yet again) and launch a broadside against Lalu Prasad, who had helped him survive many a trouble. Nitish, however, is in no mood to reminisce about the good old times, and has, instead, ramped up his attack, comparing the 15 years of Lalu and his own tenure since 2005. He even penned an emotional letter to the public ahead of the second phase of polling, addressing concerns about the state's past governance issues. If politics were a game of checkers, Bihar never ceases to surprise.

The contest between the NDA and the INDIA bloc is probably the most intense in Bihar. The low voter turnout in the first phase has particularly bothered the NDA. It has a lot to lose, as it had won 39 out of 40 seats last time. BJP national president J.P. Nadda called an urgent meeting in Delhi with party general secretaries to activate the party's booth cadres to increase the polling percentage.

All parties talk of close and tough contests all across Bihar. In the broader sweep, Nitish has an uncanny ability to pick the winning side. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he was with the NDA and it won 39 seats. In 2020, NDA won the assembly polls, even though Lalu's Rashtriya Janata Dal emerged as the single largest party winning 75 seats. In 2015, when Nitish was with the RJD, they formed the government-winning 151 out of 243 seats.

But the victories have come at a price, especially in the last decade. While Nitish continues to be the chief minister, his party has been losing ground. The Janata Dal (United) is no longer the big brother in the alliance with the BJP. However, no party has been able to present a reliable alternative to him. "He is the central figure in the elections," said former JD(U) minister Neeraj Kumar. "That is why he has been chosen to attack Lalu's dynastic rule."

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 05, 2024 من THE WEEK India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 05, 2024 من THE WEEK India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من THE WEEK INDIA مشاهدة الكل
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
THE WEEK India

What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?

IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
THE WEEK India

Trump and the crisis of liberalism

Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Men eye the woman's purse
THE WEEK India

Men eye the woman's purse

A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
When trees hold hands
THE WEEK India

When trees hold hands

A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Ms Gee & Gen Z
THE WEEK India

Ms Gee & Gen Z

The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing

time-read
5 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
THE WEEK India

Vikram Seth-a suitable man

Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Superman bites the dust
THE WEEK India

Superman bites the dust

When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
THE WEEK India

OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port

time-read
4 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE WEEK India

Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets

THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
THE WEEK India

Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay

AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024