Despite a general perception that assembly polls don't carry much significance in national political perspective, Bihar polls which kicked off from Wednesday will be an exception. A national interest on it has grown with the primary reason being that people of the rest of the country want to gather an idea about the mood in the making, even if within a restricted electorate size of a little over 7 crore, especially after the pandemic and its handling by the ruling dispensation at Delhi. The other factor that will also draw focus is how a full-fledged election is going to be managed by the ECI amid the pandemic. These are the acid tests awaiting both the political fortune-seekers as well as the poll conductors that make the Bihar election an extra-interesting affair to watch out for.

There was a big question mark after the Bihar elections and at one point of time it was presumed that polls amid a large-scale fear of the pandemic will be impossible to conduct. Except for the restricted campaigns which were virtual due to the pandemic, there wasn’t any shortage of ‘dramas’ that form the core of an election atmosphere in the country. The promise made by the BJP that Covid vaccine will be made free for all in Bihar if the ruling NDA is voted again to power brought back the missing election ‘heat’ to some extent. Coming to the Bihar battlefield, it’s as much a reassessment of ‘Modi magic’ as it will be for Nitish Kumar, the JU (U) supremo wishing to be the CM for the fourth time in a row. Viewing the elections in a broader context and going beyond the political map of Bihar where caste is a constant factor and permutations and combinations in terms of allegiance undergo unexpected changes, for BJP in particular, the election results will be of much importance. Despite having a cakewalk in last two general elections, in respect of state elections, it hasn’t won a clear majority in any state since the UP polls four years back and specifically in past two years it has actually lost six. Although it’s a state election, national factors such as the performance of the BJP-led NDA in handling the pandemic, the economy and so on will play decisive roles and will be reflected in the results. Bihar poll outcome will also carry a hint how the strongest political party of the country is prepared to face the more-tougher elections coming up next year in Bengal, Kerala and TN.

Voter turnaround carries lots of messages and it’s apt to analyse only after completion of all the phases. But, this election in all probability is going to be a tell-tale one with ripples going beyond Bihar.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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