Bihar state elections: A blessing in disguise

Bihar election results surprised the ardent admirers of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a large section of Indians who have no affiliation to any particular political party. The victory of Nitish Kumar and the loss for Modi is decisive, leaving no one in doubt as to what the Bihar voters think. It is good that Modi has gracefully accepted the defeat and lost no time in reaching out to Kumar to congratulate him.

Irrespective of the Bihar election results, there is no doubt that Modi remains the tallest political leader in the country today.

The dynamic and forward looking steps that have been taken by Modi during the past 18 months have given a new sense of hope and direction for the country, which no one can miss. Except the Land Acquisition Bill in which Modi appears to have misjudged the mood of the people. Most of such initiatives have far reaching implications and schemes such as the ‘Clean India’ campaign, ‘Make in India’ programme and opening of bank accounts for the poor are things that would reward the country in a telling way in the immediate future.

Modi has certainly raised the stature and prestige of India in the global arena, which is readily reflected by the fact that United Nations (UN) accepted his proposal to declare an International Yoga Day. The recent India-Africa conference in New Delhi where the heads of state from more than 41 African countries participated, only highlighted the respect that Modi commands in the international sphere. These are all extraordinary achievements for a person who has never been part of a central government until he became the Prime Minister.

However, it is important to note that a considerable section of Bihar voters have largely moved away from the tendency to approach elections based on caste and communal basis, which was previously seen by the voting pattern of different regions in Bihar. With that in mind, the results of the elections should be seen as an indication of the real perspectives of the large sections of voters.

Obviously, Bihar voters are satisfied with the performance of Kumar as a Chief Minister and think that he deserved to be voted back to power. However, this does not mean that Bihar voters have rejected Modi and this, obviously, means that they have preferred to repose faith in a local leader, rather than a leader sitting in far away New Delhi and in charge of national governance.

The Bihar elections will not tarnish the image of Modi, rather it should make him stronger and push for discipline within his own party.

— The reader is an Indian founder trustee of an NGO based in Chennai, India.