This time the election was held under the eye of digital gadgets and the Internet when every hand was carrying a smartphone at least having an account on Facebook, WhatsApp and other social networking sites. Assembly elections were held in a very peaceful atmosphere with guidelines amid Covid-19 followed strictly. Both administration and political parties are subject to congratulations for such peaceful arrangement and participation in the election.
The six reasons are behind the loss of Mahagathbandhan which was primarily found across the streets among voters.
First, the eclipse of the mandal phase is now fading in the state when caste used as block to vote rather more or less still there is a slight role of caste is inevitable but definitely not as, what was in the past? The same pattern had been noticed during parliamentary elections when BJP won more than RJD and JDU because of the appetite of nationalism that were given them by sister organizations who supported BJP in the expansion of political ground. The nationalism feeding neutralized the caste rejoinder and as a result that could not work what the politicians thought to replace the incumbent govt.
Second, absence on digital platforms was another reason that haunted much in the digital age. Bihar Assembly election 2020 was evident that digital platforms would play a decisive role in the organization of digital election rallies, digital election posters, target voters (through AI profiling by Facebook or other involved agencies), digital election meetings in order to reach out to voters. Digital political activities started a couple of months back when BJP organized a digital rally to reach out to their sympathisers. This election will create a new landscape for future elections not only in terms of campaign, rallies, meetings rather to propagate false information, misinformation, inauthentic information and handling to all such will be a herculean task for the Election Commission of India in the country. Despite all, the absence of Mahagathbandhan was noticed across the digital platforms what the opponent pull out their voters while the mahagathbandhan lose the opportunity.
Third, low voting percentage was another blow to the Mahagathbandhan that given another signals that voter are confused or not interested to change the incumbent regime rather no option to them to remain with the incumbent govt. Therefore, there are many seats where the winning margins did not crossed the double and triple digits. None of the phase out of the three phases shows enthusiasm rather very hardly the vote percentage crossed the fifty five percentage. The lower voter turnouts was the first signal that Mahagathbandhan was unable to pulled out their voters exclusively rather contrarily JD(U) and BJP pulled out their voters at certain percentage or more in compare to the Mahagathbandhan. The voter of Mahagathbanhdhan was from a rural background despite that the leadership was unable to send more political emissaries to increase the voting turnout rather it was purely candidate to candidate who managed booth accordingly. In opposition, they aggressively made a booth management committee to pull voters. If the voting turnout would around sixty percent, then, the result would have different.
Fourth, absence of mega industrial plan except govt job, equal payment for equal work and enhancement of auxiliary staff’s salary. The opposition made the same passively in fact, CM Nitish Kumar passively admire his failure in major industrial projects because of landlocked boundaries. However, many states and countries are landlocked and achieved tremendous industrial growth. RJD needs to work in this area so that they can increase the per capita income of the people while contrary to the limitations of government jobs and its nitty gritty.
Fifth, nothing was new to sell the voters as the ultimate selling point (USPs) that made the last imprint upon voters as clinching goal except govt job. How long such an announcement is tenable in politics, remains considered as contentious. RJD leadership needs to explore a visible project that can get people’s attention whether its industrial hub based on manufacturing or tertiary sectors. Leadership should explore the possibilities for knowledge hub park where knowledge should classify as contents, potential in next few decades to provide ample opportunities.
Sixth, being a migratory labourer is more painful than else, the Bihari’s are often migrating for all purposes whether in search of better educational institutions or as skilled or unskilled jobs, and despite that what we seldom tried to improve the existing infrastructures. Of course, it’s a challenge for political parties to create such a pool of infrastructures. Bihar needs a vision plan that accommodates space for all and is inclusive in nature. You can’t be great on the basis of past cultural imprints rather you have to prove the same ethos in the digital age. This was quite exemplary for mahagathbandhan to induce in their policy to lure more and more voters on merit ground than caste and religion background.
These six reasons are untouched by mahagathbandhan and simply followed the past trends of caste permutations that are neutralized by nationalism therefore, mahagathbandan lost two elections consecutively one after another, Parliament and Assembly election in Bihar respectively.
Dr Shekh Moinuddin is academician and authored five books.
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