Shafaqna India: Before the Assembly elections were announced in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was much condemned politician of the state — a man facing 20 years of anti-incumbency, targeted by the Opposition for being remote-controlled by the BJP, and the saffron party, though acknowledging him as the NDA’s leader, stopping short of announcing him as the CM face. Worst, his “mental health” has been questioned by the RJD and the Congress, and in private by BJP leaders.
Yet, half way through the poll, the perception has changed. Nitish has mostly avoided the limelight of being next to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and preferred to go solo in his campaigning. When a much younger politician, Tejashwi Yadav, preferred to remain at home as weather conditions grounded helicopters, and he preferred to address 16 rallies online, Nitish still travelled 700 km by road to continue his outreach.
There is no flamboyancy in Nitish’s speech. He sticks to facts and figures highlighting his achievements in the last 20 years, mentioning his predecessor saying that nothing had been done for the state, and law and order had collapsed. Unlike the BJP, Nitish has not only skipped the issue of infiltration, but also spoken about the work he has done for the Muslims, such as protecting their graveyards from encroachments, educating the community women via schemes and ensuring no communal violence takes place.
Against dynasty politics
The JD(U) veteran is among few politicians who believe in ethics. Before the poll was announced, there was a clamour within the party for Nitish to introduce his son Nishant into politics. “Nitishji stood firm saying that with what face would he stand before the people when all along his political career he had opposed dynasty politics,” recalled a JDU leader who pleaded the Nishant’s case. Despite being in the seat of power, there is not a single shred of evidence on corruption against him, though the same cannot be said about his ministers.
