Bihar's Electoral Kaleidoscope: A Tale of Two Elections, Shifting Sands, and Unyielding Ambition

Ah, Bihar! A land where political allegiances, you could say, are as fluid as the Ganga in monsoon. We've seen it time and again, but perhaps no two elections paint such a vivid picture of this political dance as the Assembly polls of 2015 and 2020. For anyone paying even a sliver of attention, these weren't just elections; they were epic sagas, each with its own dramatic turns and unexpected heroes.

Cast your mind back to 2015. Remember that? It was a moment when the political pundits, frankly, were left scrambling. The 'Mahagathbandhan' — a formidable alliance of Nitish Kumar's JD(U), Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD, and the Congress — swept to power. It felt like a truly grand statement, didn't it? A collective roar against the BJP's rising tide, a powerful endorsement of regional forces coming together. Lalu, the charismatic 'Kingmaker' even from the sidelines, and Nitish, the 'Sushasan Babu,' were, for once, on the same page, presenting a united front that left the BJP-led NDA, well, quite stunned.

But then, politics, much like life itself, is rarely a straight line. Fast forward just two years to 2017, and the alliance, once so robust, crumbled. Nitish Kumar, citing corruption allegations against Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu's son, did the unthinkable for many: he walked right back into the NDA's arms. It was a move that reshaped Bihar's political chessboard entirely, a defection that, in truth, still sparks heated debate.

Which brings us, rather dramatically, to the 2020 elections. This time, the battle lines were drawn differently. The NDA featured Nitish's JD(U) alongside the BJP, plus a few smaller allies. Facing them was a rejuvenated Mahagathbandhan, albeit a different beast altogether, led by a surprisingly vibrant Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD's young turk, with the Congress and the Left parties in tow. And here's the crucial, poignant difference from 2015: Lalu Prasad Yadav, the patriarch, was conspicuously absent from the campaign trail, incarcerated, his inimitable voice missing from the rallies that had once defined Bihar's electoral spectacle.

Tejashwi, though young, stepped up. He ran a blistering campaign, drawing massive crowds, focusing intently on issues like unemployment — and, honestly, he almost pulled it off. He became the face of the opposition, injecting a fresh, youthful energy into a political narrative often dominated by seasoned veterans. Yet, despite RJD emerging as the single largest party, it wasn't enough to dislodge the NDA. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's extensive campaigning certainly played a pivotal role, anchoring the NDA's message and, perhaps, reassuring voters amid the pandemic's shadows.

So, what did we learn from these two polls, these two distinct snapshots in Bihar's political journey? In 2015, the strength lay in a consolidated regional opposition, with a veteran like Lalu as a powerful, unifying, if unofficial, force. By 2020, the landscape had shifted: the BJP's footprint within the NDA had grown considerably, and while Nitish Kumar remained Chief Minister, his party's individual strength had waned. The elections were closer, more fragmented, and, in many ways, a testament to the enduring, almost magnetic, pull of national leadership balanced against the persistent, if evolving, power of regional giants. Bihar, it seems, will always keep us guessing.