As Bihar heads to the polls on November 6, the state’s electorate faces a stark and familiar choice — between the shadow of jungle raj and the stability of good governance. The stakes are high, not merely for Patna’s corridors of power but for Bihar’s image as a state struggling to reconcile its past with its aspirations for progress.
For over two decades, Nitish Kumar has positioned himself as the architect of Bihar’s transformation — from a byword for lawlessness to a state showing signs of administrative order. Roads, electricity, and education — the basics once considered luxuries — became deliverables under his stewardship. Yet today, the same man stands on uncertain ground, facing perhaps his most challenging election since 2005.
Nitish Kumar’s record in governance remains relatively clean, but his political gymnastics have cost him dearly. His repeated flip-flops — shifting from NDA to Mahagathbandhan and back — have eroded the perception of ideological stability. The image of a leader who once symbolized clean and efficient governance is now marred by doubts about loyalty and conviction.
His alliance with the BJP gives him access to the formidable popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose credibility and development-focused image continue to resonate deeply with the electorate. Yet, many Biharis appear torn between appreciation for Nitish’s governance and irritation with his political opportunism.
Adding to the uncertainty is Nitish’s reported ill health, which has quietly become an undercurrent in political conversations. Voters may admire his administrative legacy, but questions about his vigor and the future leadership of JDU loom large.
On the other side stands Tejashwi Yadav — young, energetic, and appealing to Bihar’s burgeoning youth population. He has managed to shed part of his father’s rustic image, promising jobs, education, and dignity for the new generation. But the problem for the RJD scion is that Bihar’s memory is long — and Lalu Prasad Yadav’s legacy still casts a dark shadow.
The 15 years of Lalu-Rabri rule remain synonymous with jungle raj — a period when crime soared, corruption peaked, and governance virtually collapsed. Lalu himself was convicted in the multi-crore fodder scam, serving jail time, while his family continues to face charges in multiple corruption cases, including the infamous “land-for-jobs” scandal. The revival of court proceedings in these cases ahead of the polls has only refreshed public memory of that ignoble era.
Tejashwi’s alliance with the Congress — and its parroting of “vote chori” and other discredited narratives — has not helped either. The Opposition’s constant negativity and its overt attempts to consolidate minority vote banks by opposing even legitimate electoral reforms have alienated sections of the electorate.
A telling example is their resistance to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR), aimed at weeding out bogus and duplicate voters. The Supreme Court’s endorsement of the EC’s authority in this matter undercut the Opposition’s accusations. The removal of over three lakh suspect names from the voter list has rattled parties that rely heavily on the arithmetic of illegal or unverified voters — including alleged migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The RJD-Congress combine’s protests, couched as “defense of democracy,” are increasingly being viewed as thinly veiled attempts to protect their vote banks rather than democratic principles. This resistance could well backfire, reinforcing perceptions that the alliance thrives on patronage and vote manipulation, not reform.
Despite visible fatigue, Nitish Kumar can still draw on a reservoir of goodwill — especially among women and rural voters. His government’s welfare measures, such as the recent ₹10,000 entrepreneurship aid to women, have bolstered his social support base. The improved law-and-order environment and reduced corruption under his tenure stand in stark contrast to the chaos of the RJD era.
Coupled with the Modi factor — the Prime Minister’s unchallenged popularity and the BJP’s organizational muscle — the NDA’s prospects appear resilient. The narrative of stability, development, and continuity remains potent against the Opposition’s fragmented and backward-looking rhetoric.
Bihar’s political future, therefore, rests on whether its people choose the predictability of order over the perils of regression. Nitish Kumar may not inspire the enthusiasm he once did, but his governance record remains his strongest armor. Tejashwi Yadav may embody youth, but he also carries the burden of legacy.
When Biharis step into the polling booths, the question they must answer is not merely who should rule — but what kind of Bihar they wish to reclaim: the one that once languished under fear and corruption, or the one that has, however imperfectly, begun to rise on the strength of governance and order.
