The Battle for Bihar
Bihar is the caste cauldron of India. Votes are usually based on the caste and religion of the candidate. Ready to host the Assembly elections from October 21, 2010, all eyes are set to see if equations change this time.
Although caste alignments will dictate the outcome of the poll, governance may become a major issue, working to the advantage of the ruling JD(U)-BJP alliance. With reservations for economically backward classes and schemes for minorities, the combine is hoping to win over some Muslims, many of whom have gone with Lalu Prasad's RJD and the Lok Janshakti Party.
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Bihar is the caste cauldron of India. Votes are usually based on the caste and religion of the candidate. Now, as the state gears up for Assembly elections from October 21, all are waiting to see if the equations change this time.
The Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar and his party Janata Dal United(JD(U)), came to power in 2005. This elections is crucial for him and his party as it will test his claims of providing development and governance in the otherwise backward state. -
Lalu along with his partner Ram Vilas Paswan presents a formidable coalition as Lalu's sway over Yadavs remains intact and he hopes that large sections of Muslims will not turn their back on him. The partnership with Paswan also assures Lalu of the support of the Dalit community.(AFP Photo)
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Ram Vilas Paswan, the president of Lok Janshakti Party(LJP), is aiming at a revamp this time. In alliance with the RJD, Paswan is an aspirant for the post of the deputy chief minister if Lalu manages to make a comeback.
Paswan needs to prove himself electorally in the state after a debacle in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections where his party failed to win even a single seat. -
In 2005 October, an upsurge was witnessed in favour of the NDA, while the RJD-LJP combine was halved in each district. The poor performance of RJD was the result of the LJP of Ram Vilas Paswan ploughing a separate furrow and substantially split the minority votes of Lalu Prasad. (AFP Photo)
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Interestingly, Lalu Prasad, who is a sitting MP will be not contesting the polls. His wife and ex-Chief Minister Rabri Devi will contest from two seats, Sonepur and Raghopur. Lalu said that Rabri was fighting on two seats because she did not want to gain entry through backdoor in a reference to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who is not contesting the elections.(AFP Photo)
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Nitish Kumar will perhaps not mind the barb, comfortable as he is from staying out of the state's electoral politics. His current term as Chief Minister has come as a member of the state's Legislative Council and Nitish has made it clear that this arrangement will continue. Sources within the JD (U) say the Bihar Chief Minister is reluctant get involved in contesting the elections, preferring instead to use his image as an efficient administrator to ensure the victory of his candidates in the upcoming elections.(AFP Photo)
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On the margins will be the Congress with Rahul Gandhi as the party's trump card. It was Rahul who insisted on the party contesting alone and focusing on the youth- an experiment that paid off in Uttar Pradesh in the 2009 General election.
The party's performance -- especially if it manages to woo back a sizeable section of Muslims --will have a huge bearing on the fortunes of Lalu, who has for close to two decades been the biggest beneficiary of the support of the minority community.(PTI Photo)
