When outsiders stirred Bihar’s political pot

Politicians from Bihar hardly stay out of limelight when it comes to national politics. However, there have been times when outsiders played a significant role in the politics of the state.
An article in The Telegraph,—An outsider dominates Bihar battlefield—takes us back in history, explaining how outsiders Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi dominated the state's politics.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. PTI

"Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, beginning with his Champaran offensive of 1917 and thereon through the freedom movement. And then Indira Gandhi with her 'Garibi Hatao' populism of the early 1970s and her post-Bangla liberation 'Durgavataar' through to the abrogation of the Emergency in 1977"—the piece on The Telegraph said, mentioning which incidents made the duo take over the political scenario in the state.

This time another outsider has arrived on the scene, thanks to the battle royale between Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi. The battle started off as both aspired to become the country's next prime minister via the NDA route. This did not materialise for Kumar as Modi edged him with the BJP nominating him as the party's prime ministerial candidate. Although a miffed Kumar snapped ties with the BJP, he could not end Modi's domination.

Kumar is trying hard to ward off the Modi effect by taking on the BJP prime ministerial candidate with the help of statistics and mocking Modi's little knowledge of Bihar. This, however, has not proved to be of much help of to the Bihar chief minister. What has become evident of the Modi wave is the swelling number of people braving the summer sun to listen to him talking.

Even Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad is struggling to fight the Modi wave. Despite his anecdotal one-liners and political bonhomie with the Congress, there is little he can do. Not only his long time aide Ramkirpal Yadav joined the BJP but also his alliance partner Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti became a part of the NDA. Long gone are the days when Lalu had proudly announced that—jab tak samose mein rahega alu, tab tak Bihar mein rahega Lalu.