Having no stimulus to put down this simple piece, part of me felt that it needs to be written here. I need not think over the scenes that took place in Bihar’s first phase polling. Thinking eventually rolled off to express with the confidence that denoted the situations, moods and attitudes of the voters. The voting in the first phase was nothing different from the last year. Nothing substantial could be said about who or what political party could win. Ground reports suggested that this has been an exceptionally strong phase for incumbent Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his party, the Janata Dal (United) and the “silent voters” he has been trusting on may not have helped him to the extent he may have dreamt, said a news report.
Like American elections, people of Bihar are just exhausted and wanted someone uncontroversial who could get the corrupt system cleaned. In the USA, people’s mood looked like they’d choose Biden, but could it be the last popular option? Is Donald Trump’s perilous presidency on the threshold of change?
Theodore Roosevelt wrote, “To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or anyone else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about anyone else.”
Similarly, it is not definite that the expectations regarding the changes in this not-so- developed Bihar would happen because of the elections. It has a population comparable to Japan. The mood this time is distinct as is clear from the news line.
जनता इस बार नीतीश कुमार को सीएम नहीं बनाना चाहती, बल्कि तेजस्वी यादव को बिहार की कमान सौंपना चाहती है। (The people of Bihar don’t want Nitish to become the CM, instead want Tejashwi to take over the reigns of running Bihar.)
With the completion of polling on as many as 71 seats, one thing is clear that the elections go on in the same traditional manner. If the EVM does not have a button to push by the side of the party’s symbol, it is deemed nothing serious all the more. The root of caste is very deeply concealed into the state. The voters and the politicians very well know it although other methods are not wholly prevented. In this assembly election, no magic of personality cult is going to impact the people. If one political leader has supported the common man in distress, he is sure to be in a dominating role. If Mahagathbandhan claims of securing a total of 55 seats during the first phase, the NDA is not leaving the claim of returning to power once again.
It is more often asserted that the supporters change their decision within the thick of one night. Why so? It occurs owing to different reasons. If Bihar elections go around issues like employment, roads, development, law and order, the factors such as religion and dereliction towards duties also hold vehemence in a greater degree this time. The BJP’s winning abilities have been put on test in Bihar as it will also prove itself for tougher elections in the year 2021.