- Every election in India generates tremendous attention, interest, following, and for/against comments, is stating the obvious. The beauty of any election undertaken by the Election Commission of India (ECI) is that there will be no dearth of passionate discourse on the topic from every stratum of society. Such is the pull of the election in India. As you are aware, and as you read this, Bihar has already voted in the first phase of the state assembly election. The two main protagonists in the fray, viz. National Democratic Alliance, led by JD(U)-BJP combination, and the Mahaghatbandhan of RJD-Congress alliance are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the electorate blesses them with an absolute majority. So goes the claim from each alliance.
PC: Right2Vote
- The moot point to ponder over here is whether the Nitish Kumar-led NDA will be able to beat the anti-incumbency factor to emerge winner yet again. People closely following the fortunes of political leaders in the country would have noticed how Nitish Kumar has mastered the art of staying in the Chief Minister’s chair by switching loyalties at the drop of a hat. Not for nothing, Nitish is termed as Paltu Kumar for somersaulting a few times in his quest to stay on the chair. However, Nitish has been successful in clinging to power for almost 20 years now. It would be interesting to see how the electorate would respond to NDA’s campaign, where socio-welfare measures rule the roost in the midst of rising unemployment concerns plaguing everywhere.
PC: Business Today
- Comprehending people would have noticed how political parties, irrespective of party affiliations, have embraced freebies as a sure-shot measure to influence voters, especially the women electorate, to choose them. Look at how the governments are formed in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh in the last few years, riding on the guaranteedschemes aimed at attracting women voters with direct monetary transfers/benefits. The same template is being replicated in successive elections elsewhere. In the Bihar elections, too, the two main parties have announced a slew of welfare measures as part of their election manifesto, attempting to garner favourable blessings from the voters. Will it work?
PC: Deccan Herald
- One of the biggest disadvantages of the opposition is the taint of corruption/scam attached to the RJD, once led by Lalu Prasad Yadav. His son Tejaswi Yadav has been projected as the CM for the Mahaghatbanbdhan. Will the Bihar voters forget the Jungle Raj of previous decades when the law and order situation in the state literally became non-existent? Will Gen Z, not directly witness to the Jungle Raj, bless the youngster who promises to usher in able administration/governance in line with the present-day requirements? On the other hand, the NDA has been vociferous, reminding people of the dark years of Lalu’s reign, exhorting people to choose wisely. Will the Nitish Kumar-Narendra Modi combination cross the final hurdle to emerge as winners? Let’s wait.
