State News And Discussion - 3

[Guest]

[url="http://www.dailypioneer.com/299016/Voter-choice-was-clear-Hope-or-despair.html"] link[/url]

“If you want me to complete the unfinished task of taking Bihar on the path of prosperity and good governance, don’t think of candidates,” this was Nitish’s message to voters directly and indirectly during his hectic campaign.



Development was surely the flesh and blood of Nitish’s campaign, but what enlivened his appeal to voters was the comparison he evoked between Lalu and himself. In plain and simple words, he reminded the voters of lawless Bihar during the Lalu era when the State made headlines only for kidnappings and massacres and his own five years of peace and development, and the people unfailingly cheered him with applause and slogans.



Turning the Assembly election into a referendum between Lalu and himself helped Nitish overcome several negatives. For example, at least seven of his MPs — Mahabali Singh, Purnmasi Ram, Lalan Singh, Arjun Rai, Sushil Singh, Mangli Lal Mandal, Monazir Hasan and Upendra Kuswaha — were openly working against party candidates. Similarly, there was an apprehension that the upper castes, who were virtually ignored by the JD(U) in ticket distribution, would cast their lot with Lalu Prasad, who was trying to project himself as their saviour in a new avatar.



As [color="#FF0000"]Lalu Prasad launched a high-decibel attack against Nitish and Rabri Devi went to the extent of dubbing the Chief Minister as chor, the JD(U) leaders kept asking the electorate to see the “true face” of the husband-wife duo before casting the vote. By loud-mouthed assertions that he was all set to return to power, Lalu also created a fear psychosis in the mind of the upper caste, which returned to Nitish’s fold lock, stock and barrel.[/color] Instead of claiming that the result was a “mystery”, Lalu and Paswan will do well to understand the changing mindset of Bihar. Else, they will never emerge from the political gutter that the voters have dumped them into.

I think people were scared of Laloo's nightmare rule in Bihar. I think that may have changed voters to move towards Nitish. I was checking result, so many place they had won less than 1000 votes. Opposition was divided, that also helped Nitish.