There can be no excuses for the Bihar poll debacle of the Mahagathbandhan, and any attempts to attribute the grand and spectacular victory of the NDA to vote chori is most ridiculous. In fact, it was superior strategy, deft implementation of the plans and foot soldiers on the ground that delivered for the BJP, JDU and their alliance partners.
The point which arises is that what does this overwhelming triumph mean in political terms, and how does it impact national politics? It is more than evident that Amit Shah has been able to outmanoeuvre his opponents and has made use of Nitish’s acceptance amongst the masses, particularly women, to carve out this win, the scale of which has even surprised the voters.
Yes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains the most popular leader in the country and has proved that even after 11 years of rule at the Centre, his magic has not diminished. In sharp contrast, both Tejashwi Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, who led the Opposition challenge, have fallen by the wayside. Both are reluctant to accept their defeat and have cited wrongdoing and manipulation as the reason for the NDA victory. They are failing to see their own limitations and dismal preparations that have led to their rejection by the voters.
The outcome has left many political analysts baffled also, and they are still groping in the dark to understand what led to this unbelievable result. Some are attributing it to an uneven playing field, while others are blaming the Election Commission for not stepping in to stop the distribution of Rs 10,000 to women, in violation of the model code of conduct. There were political pundits who were speculating that there could be some surprises once the results were declared and in the post poll scenario, some realignments could take place. However, this possibility may have only existed if the RJD had performed far better than it has. The conjecture was that Nitish, also known as Paltu Ram for his flipflops in the past, would again change sides and would once again tie up with his old JP movement friend, Lalu Prasad Yadav, to form the government.
There were some inherent problems in this assumption. Firstly, why would Nitish leave a more stable alliance and opt for his current adversaries since it would impact his own party and standing? In any case, this belief stands negated after the outcome, and with RJD being reduced to an extremely low tally of around 25.
Secondly, the BJP may have not declared Nitish as the CM face but his popularity amongst the voters was never in doubt. It is difficult to believe under the circumstances that the BJP may adopt the Maharashtra model and claim the CM’s post given the relevance of the current Chief Minister.
There is also a difference between what happened in Maharashtra and Bihar. The BJP is also dependent on the support of the JDU MPs to keep its Central government afloat and Modi and Shah would never want their government to be rocked by needlessly disturbing the present arrangement. Nitish is also highly acceptable amongst the bureaucrats and their support has also contributed to his unprecedented success.
On the other hand, the Congress, in particular, has to introspect very deeply as to what went wrong. The grand old party continues to make the same mistakes with the hope that they would yield a better result. But this shall never happen. Unless and until the party focuses on rebuilding its organization, nothing can change. This vote chori allegation is farcical since it reflects the inability of the Congress to check it, if such a phenomenon exists. This is because it has no cadres and its leadership does not care.
Rahul Gandhi has to understand that politics cannot be run on the advice of champagne Leftists who surround him. He and his sister have both insulated themselves by denying access to workers. This is not the way to take things forward. Moreover, his lack of seriousness was demonstrated when after his Yatra, which received a good response, he went abroad and was away from Bihar for nearly two months. The political sabbatical was unnecessary and has now cost him and his party dearly.
If reports are to be believed, even on Friday, when the results were declared, Rahul Gandhi was abroad and so was his sister. He is understood to have taken stock of the situation through a Zoom meeting with some of his trusted lieutenants, who appear to be keener on protecting their status rather than providing him with honest feedback. It was after this interaction, he gave out his first reaction to the poll debacle.
The Congress needs a complete overhaul and many of those who are running the show have to be immediately replaced by more competent leaders and workers. There is no dearth of talent in the party. The only thing is that leaders with political acumen are being kept away from decision making. This has to change if the party has to be saved.
It is also a lesson for Tejashwi Yadav, who was riding a high horse and was exhibiting over confidence. His projection as the CM resulted in the EBCs and many others keeping away from the Mahagathbandhan. He has not been able exorcise the ghosts of his father’s rule. People need reassurance and security.
Tejashwi and Rahul need to accept their failure and should take responsibility for the outcome. They cannot absolve themselves. Between us.
