Governance key poll plank for NDA to repeat 2024 performance

THe 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Bihar saw the subject popular confederation win 174 of the 243 gathering constituencies, resulting in it winning 30 of the 40 parliamentary constituencies in the tell –– putting to rest the ghost of the 2020 assembly election when the alliance won 125 seats, although part of that can be attributed to one NDA constituent at the Centre, the Lok Janshakti Party going it alone in the state and targeting the Janata Dal (United), by fielding candidates against it (only in six constituencies did it target the BJP).This November’s assembly election offers the NDA, now truly united in Bihar with the LJP (RV) also part of it in the state (as it was in last year’s Lok Sabha election), an opportunity to repeat that performance, although the fact that chief minister Nitish Kumar has been in power for around 19 years on the trot, with a nine month gap, makes it vulnerable to anti-incumbency. There are other challenges as well -- Kumar’s indifferent health, and the absence of any other leader of his standing in either his own party or the state BJP is one; as is the prospect of Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj playing spoiler.The NDA insists that governance will be the plank on which it goes to polls.The election commission’s decision to hold polling in just two phases in Bihar is evidence of the good governance of the “double engine government” and the changes on the ground, Janata Dal (United) working president Sanjay Jha claimed on Monday.“After a very long time the state will go to the polls in two phases and it has been made possible because of the policies of the double engine government (NDA in power in the centre and as well as the state)...” he said.The 2020 polls were held in three phases while the 2015 polls were held in five.“Our track record speaks for itself. In addition to what was done by the state government using its own resources, the central government’s policies and additional budgetary allocation has also been of great help and that has allowed us to take up big ticket programmes…Industries and investment is coming to Bihar, new development projects are taking off,” Jha added.But the alliance is clearly not leaving that to chance.It has announced a spate of freebies, especially targeting women and young voters. Women account for48% of the electorate. And January data suggests that people in the 18-29 years age group accounted for a fifth of the electorate then, with many being first-time voters. Kishor, in particular, has been vocal in his appeal to young people.The Nitish Kumar government, till October 6, has distributed ₹10,000 to nearly 2.1 million women under Mahila Rozgaar Yojana; social security pension increased from ₹400 to ₹1,100 benefitting 13 million people including women; honorarium of 140,000 Jeevika Didi’s doubled; increase in honorarium of anganwadi workers from ₹7,000 per month to ₹9,000 per month, and helpers from ₹4,000 to ₹4,500; and three-fold increase in honorarium of ASHA and MAMTA workers;.“On the one hand the double engine sarkar focussed on creating avenues for employment and entrepreneurship and on the other they worked out policies to ensure health and well being of women, who are an important constituency in the state…The NDA has an added advantage, both our leaders CM Nitish Kumar who announced prohibition (in 2016) and PM Narendra Modi for works relentlessly for Nari Shakti (women power) have earned the trust of the women voters,” said a BJP leader who asked not to be named.The NDA also believes the issue of Kumar’s health has no traction on the ground.“The opposition has been levelling allegations against chief minister Nitish Kumar who has replied to them through his work. He has drawn a line with his work. The elections are important to further strengthen our party and win back people’s support. Today Bihar is a state of hope,” said JD (U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan.(With inputs from Vijay Swaroop in Patna)