Whether past or present, Bihar itself is a significant brand for its citizens. Bihar is not just a state of India, but a culture. It also holds a heritage of religious gatherings and harmony. Bihar is the land of Chanakya. Who can forget Chanakya’s role in establishing the glorious Mauryan Empire? It is the birthplace and land of work of Lord Mahavira and Buddha. It is the motherland of the tenth Sikh Guru, Govind Singh. The nationalist poems of national poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar originate from this land. Scholars like Aryabhata provided the world with fundamental knowledge in mathematics and astronomy from Bihar. The ancient republic of Vaishali is a gift of Bihar. Bihar is credited with the decisive turning point in the country’s politics after independence. Jayaprakash Narayan also called for Total Revolution from this land. On Wednesday, with the arrival of Samrat Chaudhary, the era of Samrat has begun in the state. When he joined the BJP nine years ago, he probably never imagined that he would one day become the Chief Minister of Bihar. Although he learned the basics of politics from his father, Shakuni Chaudhary, with the end of Nitish Kumar’s rule, there are signs of a complete change in the political landscape and direction of Bihar.
With the BJP becoming Chief Minister for the first time in Bihar’s history, Bihar’s politics has reached a historic turning point. For the past 20 years, former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was the center of power, and the entire political landscape revolved around him. The BJP was in the back door, but now the BJP has completely taken control of the power vehicle. It is clear that the political equations in the state will change. Political experts say that the political contest will no longer be triangular, but directly between the BJP and the RJD led by Tejashwi Yadav, and that Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) will be put on the back foot in the coming days. Nitish’s appointment as a Rajya Sabha member in Delhi could erode the Janata Dal (United)’s support base. During Nitish Kumar’s tenure as Chief Minister, the BJP was unable to openly play the Hindutva card, as Nitish’s vote bank was concentrated among the Kurmi-Koeri and Extremely Backward Classes.
Nitish has always supported the agenda of social justice. The future holds the key to the political developments in the state. For now, crowning Samrat Chaudhary as Chief Minister will be a significant test for him. The challenges facing him are numerous. After Samrat Chaudhary became Chief Minister, people’s expectations from him are also high. The people have witnessed Nitish Kumar’s rule for two decades. He brought Bihar out of the jungle raj and established good governance, unleashing a wave of development. Bihar is equipped with infrastructure like roads, bridges, electricity, and water, thanks to Nitish Kumar’s well-thought-out plans. Nitish may have weakened in later years, but the work he did towards controlling crime during his first term will never be forgotten by the generation of that era. Now, the reins of Bihar are in the hands of Samrat Chaudhary. The BJP has had the privilege of having its own Chief Minister in Bihar after 75 years. It is not uncommon for Samrat Chaudhary to be given this responsibility during this historic period. Now, it is Samrat’s turn to prove his mettle. He has inherited five major challenges, and if he properly addresses them, he will be counted among the ranks of Yogi Adityanath, who cracked down on crime in Uttar Pradesh. To control corruption, he will have to work in the style of Narendra Modi. He also faces the political challenge of taking BJP further in Bihar.
They face challenges like lack of education, health, roads, employment, industrial shortages, lack of infrastructure, and poverty. Bihar remains one of the most backward states in the country. The multidimensional poverty rate in Bihar is 33.76 percent, the highest in the country.
In 2015-16, it was 51.91 percent. While there has been improvement, 37.7 million people remain in poverty. More than 30 million people, or nearly one-fourth of Bihar’s youth, work outside. Two out of three households have at least one member in another state. This trend continued last year. Even under the rule of Lalu-Rabri and Nitish Kumar, millions of Bihar’s youth migrated to Delhi, Surat, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Punjab because they could not find local employment. The Bihar Economic Survey shows that the per capita income in Bihar is ₹76,490, which is only 32.37 percent of the national average. The state’s economy is 49.6 percent dependent on agriculture, with manufacturing accounting for only 5.7 percent. Population pressure continues to rise in Bihar. Industrial development is slow, with few factories and a small manufacturing sector. Annual floods wreak havoc on the state. The line drawn by Nitish Kumar in Bihar after assuming power on November 24, 2005, is endless. Even his opponents acknowledge this.
Nitish Kumar, meanwhile, has not allowed a single taint of corruption to be tainted throughout his tenure. This is the biggest challenge facing Samrat Chaudhary. From crime control to maintaining a positive image of the police among the public and ensuring fair action, only then will he be able to win the trust of the people of Bihar as CM. This is such a huge challenge that even a single mistake could prove costly. Therefore, drawing a line equal to Nitish Kumar’s line is a significant challenge. Nitish Kumar has never been accused of casteism. Samrat Chaudhary will also have to grapple with these challenges and live up to the public’s wishes. The BJP will aggressively pursue development, cultural nationalism, and Hindutva agendas, while the RJD will counter this with a sharpened agenda of social justice.
