As Bihar approaches its Assembly election, the capital city Patna reveals a complex political landscape. Residents acknowledge visible improvements in infrastructure, public spaces, and women's empowerment over the past two decades under Nitish Kumar's governance. Malls, museums, riverside nightlife spots, and roads mark a transformation from Bihar's troubled past. However, a persistent restlessness pervades conversations with voters. Young professionals forced to migrate to Bengaluru, Chennai, and Noida for education and employment express frustration. They question why Bihar cannot provide similar opportunities, allowing them to remain with families while pursuing careers. Despite these concerns, Nitish Kumar remains seen as the primary agent of change rather than his challengers. His key achievements include restoring law and order, building infrastructure, and implementing women-centric welfare schemes like the Mahila Rojgar Yojana. Rival Tejashwi Yadav struggles to overcome memories of the Lalu era's lawlessness, with support largely confined to Yadav and Muslim communities. Newcomer Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj party faces skepticism about being too untested for Bihar's tangled challenges. Many young voters, though desiring change, express fear of backsliding and prefer incremental progress. The migration of youth also undermines new political movements, as potential voters may not stay long enough during the festive season to cast ballots. Unlike Delhi's anti-corruption movement or Punjab's voter cynicism that enabled newcomers, Bihar shows no overwhelming rage against incumbents. Nitish's alliance with the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi provides additional support, especially among upper castes. Voters demand IT parks, better education, and job creation, yet most counsel patience, suggesting change through continuity rather than disruption.
Infrastructure Progress Amid Persistent Frustrations
Patna has emerged as an island of development in a state characterized by poor urbanization. Recent years brought glitzy malls, an elegant museum, vibrant late-night cafes, and a riverside area dubbed marine drive where youth enjoy nightlife. These amenities, long taken for granted in other metros, arrived late to Bihar's capital but represent tangible transformation. Roads, flyovers, and freedom from power cuts mark visible progress. Yet voters consistently emphasize the incompleteness of vikas. The most insistent question concerns youth migration. Why must young Biharis leave for distant cities like Bengaluru, Noida, and Chennai to study and work? Families want their children nearby while still accessing well-paid corporate jobs. Bihar's creaking education system continues blocking aspirations. Interestingly, these complaints emerge not only from opposition supporters but also from those who trust Nitish Kumar. After 20 years of incumbency, the demand for badlav or change still addresses him rather than his challengers. This paradox represents Nitish's best electoral hope. Voters acknowledge the distance covered since Bihar's troubled past, with one engineer recalling how difficult travel was during rains, contrasting it with today's ease of nocturnal commutes from villages to Patna for study.
Challenges Facing Opposition Parties
Tejashwi Yadav carries the burden of his father's legacy. Memories of de-institutionalization and Yadav raj during Lalu's rule haunt his campaign, potentially aligning Yadavs and Muslims against the rest of society. Young professionals recount stories heard from parents about kidnapping and lawlessness during that era, creating trust issues. Support for Tejashwi appears largely confined to his party's core Yadav and Muslim base, limiting broader appeal. Meanwhile, Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj party faces the burden of excessive newness. Despite three years of mobilization, many voters, including young professionals home for Chhath-Diwali holidays, consider him too untried and untested for a state with complex challenges. His party confronts a special hurdle: the constituency for change is strongest among youth, but Bihar's young have fled in large numbers and may not stay long enough during the festive season to vote. Unlike Delhi, where the Anna Hazare movement created momentum for the outsider AAP, or Punjab, where cynicism with established players opened space for newcomers, Bihar shows no comparable political vacuum. Kishor's mobilization has not struck similar sparks, and the RJD's Muslim-Yadav base appears to hold firm rather than collapsing like Congress did elsewhere.
Voters Demand Change Through Familiar Faces
At chic cafes and shopping malls across Patna, young professionals articulate a paradoxical demand: change through continuity. Anusha Singh, working with a multinational in Chennai, says Bihar now needs tech parks and companies offering jobs, plus better education. Yet she wants the same government to return but add more growth. Tejashwi is not the answer given stories of lawlessness. Anjali Tanya, studying in Odisha, credits Nitish with helping women become independent through jobs, reservations, and safety measures. She suggests Prashant Kishor needs time to grow. Puja Sharma from Pune wants IT parks beyond just roads and buildings, but believes Nitish can deliver because he is with the BJP. Shivani Kumari captures the sentiment perfectly: change should happen, but no one currently capable exists. Tejashwi presents a trust issue and risk, while Jan Suraaj needs time without wide acceptance. Alice Verma, an investment banker in Bangalore, highlights social constraints, recounting how her mother told her Patna is not Bangalore regarding dress choices. At the Taj City Centre Mall, shoppers cite trust in Modi because of Ayodhya and Pulwama, voting for Nitish due to his alliance. Salesgirl Kajal Kumari credits the Nitish government for creating enabling conditions for women, providing bicycles and free uniforms.
Limited Rage Despite Incomplete Development
The Bihar Museum, with its tastefully curated exhibitions and gleaming premises, symbolizes transformation that families from across the state visit during holidays. Yet conversations there reflect familiar themes: acknowledging distance covered, yearning for more regarding rozgar (jobs), palayan (migration), and corruption, while counseling patience to new players. Ravi Kumar Pandey, an engineer, recalls wondering in 2006 whether Bihar could ever resemble Bengaluru, noting that unemployment and migration continue unchecked despite improvements. He praises Prashant Kishor's right ideas but suggests he work hard for five more years. At Marine Drive, Mohammad Azhar Alam says that while providing every family a government job is impossible, if Tejashwi promises this, he will at least do something. Aamir Alam, a nurse, explains real change means overhauling education and medical systems for greater accessibility to the poor, acknowledging roads and bridges but emphasizing job needs. Jaipriya Yadav notes development has slowed over the past five years, remaining confined to Patna without vision for building other urban centres. She desires a new face with modern thought process, though skeptical about Jan Suraaj's majority claims. Crucially, there is little visible rage against Nitish despite his political switches and incomplete work.
Source: Link