Two decades and counting: Why Nitish Kumar remains indispensable in Bihar

Analysts say Nitish Kumar’s continued indispensability in Bihar politics is primarily because of the lack of credible alternative in the BJP as well as the RJD.

PATNA: It’s still all about Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar and supremo of the Janata Dal (United) in next month’s assembly election.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar at a public gathering in Nalanda on Sunday. (HT Photo)

The JD(U) is hoping that with the NDA truly united –– unlike in 2020, when the Lok Janshakti Party sabotaged its chances –– Kumar can get the party to repeat its performance in the Lok Sabha election in terms of strike rate (75%; it won 12 of the 16 seats it contested), a huge improvement over its 37.3% strike rate in the 2020 assembly election. It is upbeat with the slogan “2025 se 2030, fir se Nitish (from 2025-2030, Nitish again)”.

The BJP, which almost became the single-largest party in the house in 2020 –– on results day, it lagged the RJD by just one seat –– but which has likely realised that it cannot win the state on its own (2020 pretty much established that), is hoping Kumar will propel the alliance to a win.

And the Opposition, both the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led alliance as well Prashant Kishor’s political start-up Jan Suraaj are targetting him, hoping that this, and the weight of anti-incumbency –– Kumar has been chief minister since 2005, except for nine months –– will erode his base to an extent that will help the first over the line, or the second to play kingmaker. Still, neither has targetted him individually for non-performance or lack of integrity despite corruption charges flying against his senior cabinet colleagues.

And so, despite his indifferent health –– which his party, on the record, dismisses as speculation –– Kumar remains the central player in a state where he has been just that for two decades, partnering, in turn, and then again, with the BJP but also with the RJD-Congress alliance.

In his 20 years in power, women have remained central to his governance –– from 50% reservation for women in panchayati raj bodies (announced in 2006) to declaring prohibition in 2015, many of his policies were aimed at them.

This time, he has resorted to freebies to woo them. Last month, the state announced the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana under which 7.5 million women got ₹10,000 each in their bank accounts for starting their own venture.

Political analysts say Kumar’s continued indispensability in Bihar politics is primarily because of the lack of credible alternative in the BJP as well as the RJD.

“The attacks on him indicate that he remains important, as both the BJP and the RJD know that without him they will find it difficult to sail through state’s triangular politics, which hitherto warrants any two sides to come together to prevail over the third,” said analyst DM Diwakar.

“Nitish Kumar’s unique selling proposition (USP) has no parallel in Bihar’s history; over the years his brand of politics has managed to successfully marginalise his potentially stronger adversaries . Besides, there is no blemish on his personal career and even his staunchest critics agree that he has made possible in Bihar what was unheard of earlier,” added Diwakar.

Another analyst NK Choudhary said that the Lok Sabha results in Bihar have given ample food for thought to the RJD and the Congress, which lost Nitish Kumar when he walked out of the INDIA grouping before that election. “After that, Nitish Kumar seems to have closed doors. He understands his own limitations due to age and health, while the BJP understands the importance of his mere presence. At present, there is no leader in the state to match his stature in any political party,” he added.