Now, as we move toward the euphoria of the results, the Bihar elections have rarely seen such a desperate drive for victory. This impatience fueled competitive acrimony and sharp rhetoric. A barrage of freebies sank the coffers of Bihar, not just one, but dozens!
Expressing a commitment to systemic change, the Grand Alliance promised a government job for every family. Before this attempt to attract youth could gain traction, the NDA revived the fading memories of the jungle raj. This time, amid the war of words, the claims and promises went beyond the manifesto.
Sankalp Patra vs. Tejaswi Pledge
The NDA's "Sankalp Patra" and the Grand Alliance's "Tejashwi Pledge" merged into these claims. While enumerating the promises, the NDA focused on overall development, infrastructure, and skill development. Cash benefits were promised for women and farmers. The Grand Alliance remained steadfast on its promises of countless jobs and public welfare.
Tejashwi Yadav announced a lump sum of Rs. 30,000 in cash for women right in the middle of the election, when opinion polls were being released. The NDA dismissed it as a desperate promise.
The Jungle Raj Issue Remains the Dominant
Indeed, when the Grand Alliance attempted to corner the NDA on the issues of employment and migration, the NDA invoked the Jungle Raj. Lalu Prasad Yadav, who had been put on trial for this, finally broke decades of hesitation and headed for a road show in Danapur, where the RJD has staked its bet on jailed strongman Ritesh Lal Yadav.
With Lalu's release, the BJP began reviving memories of the bygone era of pistols and guns. The NDA claimed that Nitish Kumar's 20 years of good governance had ended Jungle Raj and increased women's trust in the system.
10 lakh jobs have already been created in 2020. 10 million jobs will be created in the future. NDA leaders, citing this, dismissed the Grand Alliance's promises as empty promises.
Grand Alliance targets CM Nitish Kumar.
In response, Grand Alliance leaders criticized Nitish Kumar's age-related fatigue and his power-hungry behavior. The promise was that if he came to power, he would bring about such a transformation in 20 months that Bihar would become remarkable.
The NDA was also accused of failing to fulfill promises and of vote theft by the SIR. This gave the NDA an opportunity to become aggressive on the issue of infiltration.
In the final phase of the election, Rahul Gandhi's characteristic hydrogen bomb in Delhi was related to the allegations of vote theft in Haryana. Enthusiastic people inspected the scene and declared that the allegations were baseless. Meaning, the hydrogen bomb was no mere firecracker.
Caste-Based Enmity Broken in This Election
The record voter turnout in the first phase of the Bihar elections subsequently left no room for doubts about the SIR. However, despite this biased politics, the caste-based voting system has been somewhat effective this election, breaking the caste barriers.
Women have been a class of voters since 2010, but this time, every effort was made to include farmers along with the youth in this same category.
This effort was two-pronged (NDA and Grand Alliance), with the NDA's promises being relatively smooth in terms of implementation. The promises of direct and cash benefits made by the Grand Alliance, especially Tejashwi Yadav, are far beyond Bihar's economic status, as economic and political analysts are pointing out.
Analysis of the Campaign
The Grand Alliance's campaign was aggressive and people-centric. An attempt was made to woo the youth, women, the poor, and OBCs and EBCs by projecting Tejashwi Yadav as the Chief Ministerial face. The campaign was centered on a "wave of change" and a "new Bihar," encompassing large rallies, door-to-door campaigns, internet media (AI videos, memes), and a flurry of star campaigners. The Grand Alliance accused the NDA of raising the specter of "jungle raj" (jungle raj) and presented itself as an alternative to development and justice.
The NDA's campaign was aggressive and vigorous. Its leaders used slogans like "Once again, NDA government" and "We don't want a gun government." Narendra Modi said in Bettiah that "the RJD is leading children in the wrong direction; we are providing laptops and books." Amit Shah strongly raised the issue of "jungle raj versus good governance," promising to open a kidnapping department if Lalu Prasad Yadav's son wins. The NDA focused its campaign on "development, security, and the Modi-Nitish duo," which resonated well with rural areas and women.
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