Editorial, Bihar Election Lessons
The just concluded Bihar election once again proved the opinion polls (pre as well as post poll) are not always reliable. Various factors associated with the state – local politics, money, caste and the influence of the individuals still play a major role in the Indian election system. Though the opposition led by Tejashwi Prasad Yadav of RJD (Rashtria Janata Dal), son of the corrupt Lalu Prasad Yadav (former CM and convicted in the fodder scam case) objected the money and malpractices in the electronic voting machines (EVMs), they are not credible. In fact, blaming the EVM cannot be acceptable. Despite the fact, his party RJD emerged as the single largest party. But the real winner is not the CM Nitish Kumar, but PM Narendra Modi, whose popularity is growing by leaps and bounds across the world and Bihar is no exception. As committed, the BJP, despite its sterling performance gracefully allowed its NDA partner Nitish Kumar to continuously occupy the CM chair. And still, Congress hasn’t learned its lesson well it seems. Joining hands with the RJD, they spoiled their vote share. Now, the real acid test for the re-elected Nitish Kumar is that he should thoroughly analyze why his popularity is going down in spite of doing deploying several ‘populist’ schemes to attract women and ordinary people. It clearly shows, whether it’s the remotest corner of Bihar or the posh part of Bangalore, people want something more than just a few freebies. And slowly, they also want corrupt-free system, good infrastructures, basic amenities and most importantly rule of law. Keeping these aspects in mind, Nitish Kumar should engage in rebuilding his slowly vanishing popularity. Finally, we can’t forget the commendable job of Indian Election Commission – a truly independent organization which is emerging as the guardian of democracy in the chaotic Indian political system.
By
Editor-in-Chief