Will these tactics sail through Nitish Kumar successfully, is the question being debated in the poll-bound state. Bihar voters have returned Nitish Kumar to power again and again during the last 20 years. Whether ageing Kumar would be able to sidetrack the incumbency as he has been chief minister for too long. Now after two-decade in power the NDA leaders’ reminder to electorate about “Jungle raj of Lalu Prasad Yadav” in 1990s is unlikely to help them at the voting machines. For the young voters of Bihar Nitish Kumar is responsible for all that is good, bad or ugly in Bihar, writes M Hasan
Lucknow, October 31: After successfully experimenting “Labharthi” (beneficiaries of government schemes) vote bank in Uttar Pradesh, the National Democratic Alliance (BJP-JD-U) in Bihar seems to have combined M-Y (Mahila and Yojana) factor to counter Mahagathbandhan’s M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) combination to retain power in the state. The NDA today reeled out long list of largess to the various sections of electorates.
During 2022 UP elections, the BJP apart from sewing up castes combination, had also mobilized a new category of “Labharthis” voters, which had considerably affected the Samajwadi Party’s electoral fortunes. “Labharthis” was buzzword during 2022 UP election campaign. The Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath had then also laid stress on “M-Y” (Mahila and Yojana) by enumerating the schemes his government had launched for the welfare of the women.
Reports indicated it is being replicated by NDA in Bihar in the on-going elections. According to information there is rising beneficiaries’ consciousness especially among the marginalized communities. While caste-based politics continues to play significant role in mobilization of voters, “poor labharthis” class has further added a fresh vigor and direction to the electioneering. No doubt caste emotions may be a factor but reports indicated that vast section of voters, especially women, who have received largess from the chief minister Nitish Kumar all these years are now demanding more and this could determine the results on November 14.
Already NDA’s Nitish Government and Mahagathbandhan have come out with several fresh schemes including cash dole outs to attract the electorate. But what added flavour to the NDA are several central government’s sponsored schemes like free ration schemes, cash distribution to farmers and Rs 10,000 cash to poor women.
It is widely perceived that Biharis do not cast their vote but they vote their castes. But now they are not just fixated about castes alone. The Governmental largess have added to their list of political aspirations. They now want more schemes that could improve the human development indices. While Mahagathbandhan of JD-U, Congress have also made promises, the NDA has already delivered by launching several social support schemes and has now promised new ones for women, youth and other marginalized social groups.
Apart from other political narrative of law and order, development as against “Jungle Raj of Lalu Yadav regime”, the talk of “labharthis” (beneficiaries of welfare schemes launched by central and state governments) seem to have broadened the NDA’s appeal to a vast section of people, especially women who silently voted for the JD-U, BJP in the past. The way the NDA connected the free ration scheme, gas cylinder, houses and toilets to political choice had proved a game changer for the alliance in 2020 elections.
In fact, the beneficiary class included not only those who got direct benefits but also their families and a larger group of potential beneficiaries. The government move has generated expectation in a large section of the people about these continued freebees if they voted for the NDA again. The NDA has veered round to the view that more than community benefits or public welfare measures, individual benefits could prove more politically helpful as it directly connected the people with the ruling alliance.
But will these tactics sail through Nitish Kumar successfully, is the question being debated in the poll-bound state. Bihar voters have returned Nitish Kumar, who also earned moniker of “paltu ram”, to power again and again during the last 20 years. Whether ageing Kumar would be able to sidetrack the incumbency as he has been chief minister for too long. Now after two-decade in power the NDA leaders’ reminder to electorate about “Jungle raj of Lalu Prasad Yadav” in 1990s is unlikely to help them at the voting machines. For the young voters of Bihar Nitish Kumar is responsible for all that is good, bad or ugly in Bihar.
(M Hasan is former Chief of Bureau, Hindustan Times, Lucknow)
