Nitish, Un-interrupted

Despite the many flip-flops, Nitish Kumar has been an influential leader. He, however, has not been able to build a second-tier leadership, something that may impact his party whenever he calls it quits

- Ashutosh Kumar

IN recent times, states have emerged as arenas where politics has unfolded in varying forms within the federal polity of India. Also, states have increasingly become important political units. Political developments at the state level impact national politics.  

Both these factors have prompted analysts to call states “mini democracies”. Heightened attention on state politics brings focus on state-level leaders as well. Also, the fact, that when in power, state leaders have access to massive political resources, organisation, money and votes. Consider the size of the territory and the population of some of the states. 

Studying the life and times of a state-level leader can be helpful in many aspects. First, it helps in understanding the political and economic changes and developments during their career, especially if the leader has been in a position of power and influence for a considerable period. Second, profiling the leadership helps in analysing the social composition of the political elite and also discerning the shift, if any, in the nature of political representation at the state level. Third, given the fluid and weakly institutionalised nature of state parties, leadership study also helps in understanding the process of party formation, policy agenda and symbolism. Fourth, focusing on the political career of a successful political leader and his leadership style/model not only captures and explains the way his political life has shaped up but also brings into focus the shifting political and economic realities of the state during his time and space.

Political Career: A Brief Sketch  

A study of the political life of Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar since 2005, except for a few months when he nominated Jitan Ram Manjhi in his place, is helpful in these aspects.