Bihar elections: Changing paradigms of a failed state

Bihar, historically has always been a politically active state. A state, where people eat and sleep with politics. With feelings of caste and religion deeply rooted in the mindset of an average Bihari, any election eventually turns out to be a caste warfare. A dismal literacy rate of 47 percent also is one of the factors why caste and religion play a dominant role in elections in Bihar.

Laloo Prasad Yadav was the first person to realize this. His social engineering found a large audience in the form of poor, underprivileged people in rural sections of Bihar. Development went for a toss and casteist politics became the call of the day. He (mis)ruled the state first himself, and then with a proxy from 1997 till 2005, when JD(U) with the support of BJP first ousted him from the power.

Once a best governed state during independence, Bihar turned into a mess which no one cared to clear. The first winds of change was seen in 2005, when JD(U)-BJP combine won fair number of seats in Assembly and laid claims for forming a coalition government in Patna. With Ram Vilas Paswan playing a "king-maker" role, Laloo was almost certain to be ousted from power. That was when, once a strong ally, and then a power in Center, the great Congress Party came for his help. Congress agent and Bihar Governor, Mr Buta Singh dissolved the assembly and thwarted NDA, which was almost certain to form government in Bihar. President rule was imposed on Bihar and re-election was scheduled for October-November. People of Bihar, sensing the foul play, gave NDA complete majority this time to lay claims for power and Nitish Kumar became the Chief minister.

This was the turn around moment for many's fortunes.

Nitish Kumar, because he got a chance to undo whatever bad was done during Laloo-Rabri-Congress regime. With the extensive work done on improving infrastructure and law and order in Bihar, he established himself as "Vikas Purush", never before heard in the history of the state. People began to see a light at the end of the long dark tunnel of 15 years misrule by RJD.

Laloo Yadav, because he was relegated in the back seat for the first time in his political career. In subsequent elections his vote bank began to erode, so much so that in 2009 general elections he managed to win only 4 seats out of 40.

Congress, sensing that there is no more steam left in Laloo, started distancing itself from him. In 2010 assembly elections, it for the first time went all alone contesting on all seats on offer in Bihar. If exit polls are anything to go by, it clearly shows that Congress can dent hard the vote bank of RJD-LJP combine. For now, we can wait till November end to see the actual results.

Ram Vilas Paswan, once touted as king-maker, now is nowhere near to his glory days. He too suffered the similar fate as that of his now staunch ally Laloo. His disastrous showing in Lok Sabha elections 2009 was a clear signal that people can't be fool again and again on casteist agendas.

Rabri Devi, a reluctant and least qualified person to ever sit on CM's throne, with due respect, can peacefully go back to her kitchen. Seriously, how can you expect a simple housewife with 5th grade education as her only achievement in life to rule over second most populous state. This was a blasphemy and something for which people of Bihar can never forgive Laloo.

And finally Bihar, which till 2005, a laggard state in every aspect, has begun to show some signs of recovery. With increased investment in infrastructure, greater emphasis on education, vastly improved law and order situation and a visibly better governance, Bihar can look forward to attain its long lost glory.

Development is the new theme on which elections are set to be fought over in Bihar now. May the politics over caste and religion be history now and so may Laloo and Paswan.