Sharing power is key to solving many issues BJP is facing today

The Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies have lost Bihar. This defeat looks like a complete rout, to be precise. Bihar rout follows after Delhi debacle where BJP managers could not fathom what were the indicators that brought misfortune for the party.

BJP, which came to power one and half years ago, seems to have lost the steam midway before climbing the hill.

This ailment has become endemic in a sense, where BJP refuses to treat the disease.

Now, allegations are flying thick and fast that decision makers do not trust the people at the ground and continue to live in a self-made paradise.

After the loss, BJP is looking for scapegoats. Who are the scapegoats? Are they one, who are advocating BJP to become more inclusive?

Or they are one at the helm, who are taking important decisions without accountability.

For every party, amalgamation, Bihar results have given out lessons to learn.

Here are some takeaways from Bihar results, which will be discussed in weeks to come.

1."Pappu" pass ho Gaya. Congress is live and kicking in Bihar. Nobody is talking about Congress. Rahul Gandhi has done a decent job in Bihar, not to forget, Nitish and Lalu literally deserted him during the poll campaign. 

2.Bihar has given the ticket for extension of Yadav dynasty. Lalu remains relevant, Lalu remains powerful, remains a potent force.

3. Bihar polls have given the message that Modi has to keep mum and work. Party has to go back to people.

4. Stop beef politics.

5.Modi has to learn to work with "other people"

6. Nitish has to walk a tightrope. He has to perform a miracle to change Bihar. 

7. Lalu Yadav has to go slow/avoid asserting for at least till 2019.

8.Modi shud help out non-BJP states

9. Modi shud behave like a PM. People have been talking in Bihar that Modi conducted too many rallies.

10.BJP committed a grave mistake by not naming chief ministerial candidate in Bihar. They did not take empower local BJP leaders to take important decisions. Sharing power is key to solving many issues that is confronting BJP today.

Sorry, Bihar is running late

Bihar was in the firm grip of bandh on account of arrest of an MLA the day I was supposed to catch my train from Bhagalpur to Delhi. I reached Bhagalpur junction two hours in advance from my village and inquired about the arrival of Garib Rath.

I gate crashed into inquiry room, there appeared a young lady in her 20s, ensconced in her computer. What time Garib rath is scheduled, I asked?

She looked up (smilingly) and asked are you new to Bhagalpur?  It is always five-six hours late, she quipped. If Garib rath is 5-6 hours late, it’s not late, she told. She was right.

When Laloo ji was railways minister, Gareeb rath used to run on time, but now nobody cares. Present railways minister Suresh Prabhu is intelligent but there is no control over timing.

As we all know Bihar politicians have special liking for railways ministry yet state of railway functioning is pathetic in Bihar. Garib Rath, which was supposed to take me Delhi the next day was 10 hours late. I lost hope.

Add to more salt to my woes was the bandh call given by JD(U) leader  Anant Singh’s supporter, who had been arrested a day before by the Bihar police in a dramatic fashion.

Entire railway track stretching from Bhagalpur to Patna was blocked at various places affecting normal running of train beyond the control of Danapur division.  

By the time I covered 200 kms from Bhagalpur to Patna, I had changed five trains. This was the stretch where I saw no TTE, no police, no paramilitary forces on the train.

“Indian trains runs in the name of god in Bihar, very rightly observed harassed passengers. ( Bihar mein train bhagawan ke bharose chalti hai.)

When you travel in a local train and you don’t get involved in political discourse, its not possible. Arrest of JD(U)’s Mokama MLA was the focus of discussion.

Why he was arrested and what will Nitish gain from it? What Laloo will gain from the arrest and how it will impact Kurmi, Yadav and Dalit votes in Bihar, our discourse was centred on these issues.

“Nitish is doing everything to please his former foe and now political ally, Laloo Yadav. Nitish is  doing everything to retain his power.” (Nitish ji kursi par bane rahne ke liye kuch bhi kar sakte hain)

Nitish kumar was nicknamed as messiah of development (vikas purush) during first term. What he did for Bihar was hailed by all and sundry.

Law and order was back on the track in Bihar. Roads were repaired and rebuilt, schools were upgraded in Bihar.

And overall image of Bihar, which had become synonym of lawlessness (jungle raj), had improved. Nitish government somehow managed to electrify thousands of villages, which was a pipedream in Bihar. Now there is hardly any sight of lantern in Bihar. Even small villages have metered power connections. Many villagers admitted that people were persuaded to give up kundi connection (illegal connection) and go for metered connections. During visit to a Paharpur village near Munger, power situation was good. Villagers had no problem in paying bills as regular power supply had made their lives cosy and less uncomfortable.

This all happened in Nitish Kumar’s first term, when he was with the BJP.

Will people of Bihar, who had experienced 15 years of chaos in Bihar, will ever vote for Nitish-Laloo combine is a difficult question to answer. Laloo is a changed man now, but why should people vote for him, whose rule was synonymous with lawlessness.

Nitish was given thumping majority in the hope that he will transform Bihar, bring development, investment and industries, generate employment but nothing of this sort happened in Bihar.

Nitish Kumar gave up his job once there was lot of opposition within his party and made Jitan Ram Manjhi the chief minister. Nitish kumar thought that he will be a pawn (mohra) of the chief minister and he will run the government on his orders but Manjhi proved to be politically sharp and unreliable.

Power equation in Patna changed but not the Patna city. Patna is still a dirty city. Flyover near railway station is still incomplete even after 10 years. There is no sign of its completion as poll is due in Bihar later this year.

Then what has changed in Bihar in last 10 years of Nitish rule? Bihar is still busy playing with caste equations. People have become more mature, more adaptable and less reactionary.  

Meanwhile, train to Delhi is as full as it was 20 years back. Confirmed tickets are never available in Bihar trains as migration from Bihar continues at a very fast pace in the absence of industry and employment. For me, flying out was one option, I explored.

PS: Living in Bihar still remains a great struggle.