The battle for power in Bihar is intensifying as the first phase of the state’s assembly election concluded with the highest voter turnout in the state’s history, reaching 64.66 percent, a significant increase from the 57.29 percent recorded in the 2020 assembly poll. The particular election has already become vital and that could become a precursor to polls in several important states. The two-phase poll being conducted to elect a total of 243 legislators and choose the next government in Bihar will witness its second phase on November 11. The victory at this election has become a prestige issue for all main political parties involved, with the poll coming after a controversial revision of electoral rolls that the opposition alleged would exclude genuine voters and give an advantage to the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies. The BJP and the Election Commission of India have already rejected the allegation.
The alliance between the BJP and the Janata Dal (United) or JD (U), which represents the outgoing government, is pitted against the country’s main opposition party Congress tied up with the regional Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) as well as a number of smaller parties. The Bihar election is also witnessing the entry of a new political party led by Prashant Kishor, a former political consultant who has in the past worked with both the BJP and the Congress. Interestingly, this poll could also be the last contest to see the active public participation from two Bihari leaders who shaped the state’s politics for almost four decades, namely Nitish Kumar of JD (U) and Lalu Prasad Yadav of the RJD. The rivals, both in their seventies, are said to be in poor health. They have, in the past, joined hands to stay in power in spite of their turbulent relationship, political differences and personal ambitions.
Prashant Kishor, whose Jan Suraaj Party is making its first foray into Bihar during this election, has attributed the record voter turnout to two major aspects. The growing public yearning for political change and unexpected participation of migrant workers, who have returned to the state during the festive season! Bihar is one of the country’s poorest and most populous states, which has millions of its natives migrating to other places for jobs. They are on a visit to their home for Diwali and Chhath Puja and could be carrying with them a substantial number of votes.
The introduction of the Jan Suraaj Party has now given the people of Bihar a new option. For the past three decades, the Bihari voters carried a kind of indifference towards elections because they did not see any real political alternative. In addition, the migrant voters and youth – especially those aged 18 years to 29 years and concerned over issues of jobs, employment, and migration – seem to have voted in large numbers during the first phase. This could signal a desire for political transition rather than the status quo. Meanwhile, both the alliances have enticed the women voters with financial assistance, in case they are able to form the next government.
Bihar is among the few states in India where the Bharatiya Janata Party has not managed to form a government on its own. The shifting sands of regional politics, caste loyalties and coalition arithmetic further complicate the matter. The second phase of the election is round the corner, followed by counting of votes on November 14. Only then will we get the answer to whether Bihar has voted for a change or continuity.
