The 'Double Engine' did it finally. In a ding-dong battle for Bihar, the JD(U)-led alliance romped home by the skin of their teeth bagging 125 seats with the 'Rising Son' (Tejashwi Yadav)-led UPA close behind at 110. Had Tejashwi not shown leniency to Congress in seat sharing, the post-poll story most likely would have been different. The grand old party's tally tells the sorry tale of its sagging image.
It was very clear from this election that Modi magic still works. A massive anti-incumbency factor against Nitish, the chief minister was lagging behind at the start of the poll campaign, clearly dented by Chirag Paswan and to add to his woes, Tejashwi had taken him head-on over unemployment in the State. Enter Modi and the scene began to change, first by puncturing Tejashwi's claims of creating 10 lakh jobs. The PM went on to address 12 hectic rallies, and that made the difference apart from the opposition failing to encash on the anti-incumbency factor.
At the helm in Bihar since 2005, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar must have never been on a thinner sheet of ice than he finds himself now, though he's set to wear the CM's crown once again most likely on Monday. With the image of JD (U) as the 'Big Brother' in the NDA alliance taking a severe beating in Bihar Assembly elections a couple of days ago, Nitish's final innings in the political field may well be on a pitch with uneven bounce.
Now, with BJP projecting itself as the 'Big Brother' in the Bihar NDA alliance, voices in the saffron party are growing for a chunkier share in the Cabinet, including that of the CM's post in the backdrop of Nitish losing his aura and the command that he once wielded. The picture will become clear after Diwali when the oath-taking is likely to take place and the actual power game comes to play out in the open.
Meanwhile, about Congress’ disastrous performance in Bihar: Not many were happy in the RJD circle over sharing a large number of seats with the grand old party of India which was banking heavily on the Muslim and Dalit votes to match the expectations of its alliance partners, not that Rahul Gandhi did not campaign extensively, raising issues of unemployment and recession. The rest for the Congress after the polls is history to be forgotten. It sank, taking along the alliance partners; a repeat of Uttar Pradesh elections.
All's well that ends well, as Nitish said at the fag end of his campaigning making a fervent plea to the voters that 2020 Bihar polls would be the last election he would be contesting, well aware that with the 'Rising Son' and the blooming 'Lotus' ride ahead on the political tracks may not be that smooth as he had experienced in the last 15 years since 2015 - on a victory trail in tie-up with other parties until now.
