Bihar polls: A play of innuendoes, insults and one-liners
The stakes, doubtless, are high in the ongoing Bihar polls - so high that it would be myopic to view it merely as a routine election in the state. It has, in fact, evolved into a do-or-die battle for every stakeholder and its outcome will have far-reaching consequences on the national politics.
Still, nobody expected the poll campaign to degenerate into a grunge fight involving the bitter rivals having no qualms in making no-holds-barred attacks on each other. With PM Narendra Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar - the country's two well-known proponents of development-centric politics - leading their respective alliances from the front, Bihar's battle of ballots was expected to be fought over progress and prosperity of an underdeveloped state.
But as the first phase of Bihar polls undergoes today, development appears to have become the secondary agenda, completely overshadowed by irrelevant issues and personal attacks. What has dominated the electioneering so far are acrimonious exchanges of innuendos, insults and ignominy between the leaders of warring groups.
Expressions such as narbhakshi (man-eater), jallad (hangman), shaitan (devil), brahma pishach (bloodsucking spirit) and chara chor (fodder thief) have been liberally used by different protagonists in the high-voltage drama, vitiating the atmosphere ahead of what is known as the great festival of the Indian democracy.
So colourful have been the sobriquets, one-liners and the insinuations used by the rivals against each other that it has promoted the election commission of India to reissue an advisory asking all campaigners to mind their language. However, such advisories have apparently made little impact, as FIRs and court cases continue to be slapped against them on charges of using intemperate language against their opponents.
There is no denying the fact that this election will make or mar the political future of many leaders. For Lalu, for instance, this election has turned out to be a veritable test of his enduring ability to garner a sizeable percentage of votes in every election. In polls after polls, his party has managed to get a fair share of votes regardless of its overall performance. Even in the 2014 General Elections, the RJD's vote share was around 20 per cent even though it could win only four seats.
Few will disagree that Nitish Kumar sought to mend fences with Lalu, his long-time opponent, only because of his traditional vote base. The RJD president, therefore, has a task clearly cut out for him. He has to retain his vote bank in this election as well to facilitate the return of Nitish as the chief minister for the third time in a row.
Nitish, too, has his reputation to save in his bid to prevent Modi, his long-standing political foe, from capturing Bihar. He has already faced a lot of flak for forging an alliance with Lalu, known for his dismal track record of governance in the past.
The NDA, however, appears to have the biggest stake in the Bihar polls. It is aspiring to grab power not only to rule the state for the first time but also to add to its number in the Rajya Sabha in future. It needs to do well in Bihar, and later in Uttar Pradesh polls, to consolidate its position at the Centre.
Under such a scenario, it is not surprising that some leaders from both sides are getting carried away. But they need to exercise the utmost restraint in making remarks against their rivals. They should all avoid making personal comments in keeping with the healthy democratic traditions.