By Aafreen Hussain
The countdown to the Bihar Assembly elections has begun, and as the political temperature rises, so does the familiar echo of “jumla politics” across the state. In the streets of Patna to the villages of Nalanda, one question dominates public discourse
If the NDA is truly fighting the election under Nitish Kumar’s leadership, why does Prime Minister Narendra Modi keep talking only about the “Modi Sarkar”?
The Prime Minister, during his rallies, has emphatically declared that the NDA is contesting the election under Nitish Kumar’s leadership. Yet, political observers believe this is nothing more than a campaign slogan a temporary electoral convenience that might not survive beyond polling day.
And that’s why the people of Bihar are asking:
Is Nitish Kumar merely a face for the elections or just a temporary ally, a placeholder for Delhi’s real plans?
If it’s “Modi Sarkar,” then where is “Nitish Sarkar”
The contradiction is glaring. If Nitish Kumar is indeed leading the NDA in Bihar, why does the BJP hesitate to say so clearly?
Why not make him the official chief ministerial candidate?
Political analysts believe the BJP’s silence is strategic. There’s widespread speculation that the party has already decided Nitish Kumar will not be CM after the results.
If true, it raises another uncomfortable question:
Will Bihar witness a repeat of the Maharashtra model, where Eknath Shinde was propped up and Devendra Fadnavis played the power game from behind the scenes?
Is the Delhi high command planning to decide Bihar’s future leadership from the corridors of the capital, rather than letting Biharis choose their own chief minister?
Mahagathbandhan’s Clarity vs NDA’s Confusion
In stark contrast, the Mahagathbandhan has projected Tejashwi Yadav as its clear CM face.
The NDA, however, continues to speak in riddles refusing to give a straight answer.
Does this ambiguity hint at a deeper fear within the BJP that Nitish Kumar, once re-elected, might not be easy to sideline?
Or is this the prelude to yet another post-poll power reshuffle?
The Public Mood: Between Hope and Cynicism
Among Bihar’s electorate, skepticism is growing. Many now view the BJP’s promises as “microphone-level assurances” grand words that rarely translate into action.
The state’s intellectuals and ordinary voters alike are beginning to question the credibility of political slogans that dominate campaign rallies but fade once the power is secured.
Behind every promise, they suspect, lies a new political formula crafted not in Patna, but in Delhi.
Who Will Truly Rule Bihar?
So, as the election drumbeats grow louder, the central question remains unanswered:
Will Bihar’s next chief minister be chosen by the people of Bihar or by the power brokers of Delhi?
Can the BJP continue to mask internal power equations behind the “Nitish-led NDA” slogan?
Or will the voters see through what many are calling a political charade?
The people of Bihar have learned to read between the lines. They know that behind every promise of unity lies a carefully scripted power play.
And this time, they might just have their own answer to the politics of jumla.
One thing is certain Bihar’s verdict will not just decide who forms the next government, but also whose word the people still trust:
the leader they vote for, or the voice that speaks from Delhi.
When the ballots are counted, the masks will fall and the face behind Nitish Kumar’s name will finally be revealed.