Bihar is immersed in politics even in the times of festivities. For Biharis, there’s no better pastime than politics.

Over the last two decades, Bihar has coined a new adage — power follows where Nitish Kumar tilts. This is why, despite the BJP’s growing tendency to edge out its alliance partners, it is content being the junior partner in the state. Even Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD faced the same predicament when it was in an alliance with Nitish’s JD(U).

Any party that’s not with Nitish may apparently spew venom against him, but secretly fervently desires an alliance with him. This is the reason Lalu joined hands with Nitish in 2022 even after a bitter split in 2017. During the two Mahagathbandhan stints, BJP leaders publicly vowed never to ally with Nitish. However, today they are readying themselves to face the assembly elections with their “natural partner” for the third time in the state.

How has Nitish emerged as this talisman of electoral victory in Bihar?

In 2005, when he became the Bihar chief minister (CM), he dedicated all his energies to maintaining law and order, improving the quality of roads, electricity supply, transport and education. In 2006, he launched the School Chalo Abhiyan to push admissions and attendance, distributing bicycles to girl students. Thus began a silent revolution: In 2005, mere........

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