Well, considering the electoral performance and presentation, the RJD will surely be the chieftain of Bihar politics. Nitish Kumar might have won as the face saver, but has lost on acceptance as a mass leader and grassroot worker. Though there was palpable discontent and resentment against his misrule and misgovernance, the promise and commitment of vikas (progress) and vishwaas (trust) echoed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi resonated in the minds of common voters. This offered Nitish babu a chance to build up his case for his aspirations and ambitions for holding onto power.
Otherwise, he would have remained cautious in tying up with the dynastic RJD, whom he has many a times referred to as the “Messiahs of Jungleraaj”. As for Nitish, he now appears to be slipping and cracking, lacking the capacity and courage to hold his fort. The BJP being the dominant partner in the NDA, in terms of the numbers, won’t allow Nitish a safe passage. Tejashwi, too, would want to maintain his lead over Nitish Kumar like he did during the election rallies and campaigns.
Issues impacting and influencing the lives and livelihood of the common and ordinary should be at the centre of schemes. The state of education and employment is under a perpetual decline in Bihar, forcing many to relocate and resettle in other states, leading to mismanagement of precious resources and manpower.
Bihar has been lagging behind in many of the development parameters and indices, far behind the national average. None of it has been attended by Nitish Kumar so far, leave aside reducing the gap. I sincerely believe that his government should come up with specific committees and task forces to acknowledge and address larger issues in the interest of the people of Bihar.
Maybe there can be investment in innovation and infrastructure as, in Nitish babu’s words, the landlocked state of Bihar cannot afford heavy industries. I advise him to take a lesson or two from Tejashwi Yadav in this regard, if he would at all like to.