GRIPPING CONTEST

The fight between the NDA and the INDIA bloc is the most intense in Bihar

- PRATUL SHARMA

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."