Of Lantern and LED: Politics back to basics in Bihar

Narendra Modi-Rahul Gandhi face off to decide course of remaining election campaign in the state

Before a Narendra Modi- Rahul Gandhi face off in Bihar begins on Friday with each addressing three and two rallies respectively on the same day, parties have gone back to basics--from pandemic and Palyan (migration) to lantern and LED.

In a marked difference from 2015 assembly elections when RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks about a review of reservation (later clarified by BJP as misrepresentation by the Opposition) dominated the election discourse and caste calculus played a core in results, a change is there in the air and it is not limited to one party.

To follow Bihar elections, click here

LJP manifesto goes to the extent of making a bold declaration of a caste and religion-free society as it highlights “Bihar First, Bihari First” vision.
So if RJD's Tejashwi Yadav promised 10 lakh jobs inviting sharp attack from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, BJP was quick to sense the reach it may have in the unemployment and migration-hit state and promised to generate nearly double--19 lakh jobs when it released its poll manifesto on Thursday.

Yadav had earlier gone to the extent of promising 10 lakh government jobs in the very first cabinet of the alliance government if voted to power.

Job promise is being considered by political parties a masterstroke to counter the anger against the NDA government in the state over the migrant crisis triggered by the national level lockdown and the handling of Covid-19 by the Nitish Kumar government.

Bihar whose 1.7 million population migrates to other states in search of livelihood is in for a crisis of sorts with migrants back to the state post-Corona enforced national lockdown. And hence no surprisingly migration or 'Palayan" in Hindi figures in the poll manifesto of all parties.

Also Read | JD(U) releases its manifesto; seeks to know from rivals source of money for fulfilling its poll promises

While promising 19 lakh jobs (10 lakh of them agriculture-linked), BJP's "Sankalp Patra" also promised Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for the kin if a migrant labourer dies suddenly in another state. Meanwhile, JD(U)'s poll manifesto promises employment generation measures for youths. The word "Rozgar" (employment) figures seven times in JDU's manifesto.

At a time when the BJP has decided to orient the Bihar election campaign chiefly around the development and economic growth, it chose Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to release the party's manifesto.

With the tagline 'BJP hai to bharosa hai', the party took to Twitter highlighting the pro-people measures like the Jan Dhan scheme and the Ujjawala Yojana introduced by Prime Minister Modi.

PM Modi will address three rallies – at Dehri-on Sone (Rohtas district), Gaya, and Bhagalpur going to polls on October 28. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will also share the dais with Modi in two of the three places. From the Congress' side, Rahul Gandhi will address two rallies--one each in Nawada (adjacent to Gaya) and Bhagalpur district.

Also Read | Bihar poll temperature set to rise further with Modi, Rahul campaigning on Oct 23

While the Friday rally will decisively set the tone of the campaign for polls, BJP has already attempted to raise the spectre of "lantern raj" (lantern is the symbol of Lalu Prasad's party RJD) and repeatedly taunted Tejashwi Yadav on his father's absence from election posters of the party. In rallies, Nadda said, "Modi has cleaned our political system in such a manner that today a son is forced to remove his father's photos from election material."

Seeking to put a picture of contrasting models of development, Nadda has been saying in rallies, "Tejashwi Yadav knows that if he puts photos of his father Lalu Ji in RJD posters, people will be reminded of lantern rule and their miseries. The fact is that today people of Bihar want to see the 'LED rule' of progress, growth and development under NDA.

Also Read | Bihar polls: Congress mocks BJP’s ‘sop opera’ of 19 lakh job offer

"During NDA rule in Bihar over 1.95 crore LED bulbs were distributed and 29.59 lakh electricity connections were given under the Saubhagya scheme," he said.

BJP has also projected big financial packages announced by Modi for Bihar.

"Modi has a special bonding with Bihar. Whatever he has promised for Bihar, he has delivered. He not only gave a special package of Rs.1.25 lakh crore to Bihar but also gave additional assistance of Rs.40,000 crore for development of the state," Nadda said, remarks which have been taken with a pinch of salt by the Opposition.

In Buxar, Nadda appealed to the people of Bihar to once again elect the NDA government to continue 'Vikas Raj' under Nitish.