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WHY THE BIHAR OUTCOME MATTERS ByHT Correspondent Nov 10, 2020 09:21 AM IST THE FIRST POLL IN THE PANDEMIC WILL SHAPE POWER STRUCTURES IN PATNA AND BEYOND With the Bihar assembly election
results scheduled for Tuesday, established tenets of Indian politics are on test. The battle in Bihar is not just about who will become the chief minister or which formation will win. It is
as much about the coronavirus pandemic and how citizens have perceived the response of the State; the political discourse that is resonating with voters; and the future architecture of power
not just in the state but beyond. One, it is clear that the lockdown, imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19, had enormous human and economic costs. Bihar was deeply affected because of the
high flow of migrants from the state to the rest of the country, who struggled, first, to return home, and, then, to find employment. There was already increasing disillusionment with
Nitish Kumar’s third term in office but the pandemic appears to have cemented stronger views on the government. The outcome will reveal the political costs that the pandemic and its
management may have levied on state governments (not the Centre, because, all reports indicate that citizens appear to be placing the responsibility on states). Two, the emergence of
Tejashwi Yadav, but more importantly, his invocation of “economic justice”, rather than the old formulation of social justice, was a clear attempt to find solidarities across castes and
rebuild a wider alliance. Whether this succeeds or whether voters still don’t trust the Opposition — for its governance deficits and political degeneration of the past — will be important
lessons for other parties. And, finally, the outcome will determine not just who assumes power in Patna, but shape larger national politics. A win for Mr Yadav will energise the Opposition —
it will encourage regional parties and the Congress will find a reason to smile. This will then get reflected in sharper attacks on the central government. It will also have a psychological
impact — though not necessarily any political impact — on West Bengal, scheduled to hold polls next year. It will also cement the perception of voters distinguishing central and state
polls. A win for Mr Kumar, on the other hand, will reveal that voters still want a hand with a proven record at the helm while a good performance by the Bharatiya Janata Party but not for Mr
Kumar will potentially lead to a further churn in the already depleted National Democratic Alliance. The stakes are, indeed, high. * Bihar * Tejashwi Yadav * Patna Unlock a world of
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