AsseniorJanataDalUnitedleaderNitishKumarpreparesforathirdtermasBiharschiefminister,hefacesthe

oneroustaskofnavigatingthechoppyseaofstatepoliticsbeforehegoesintoelectionmodewithinthenextfive
months.
KumarscomebackmaynothavebeenindoubttilltheBJPjoinedthefrayandRJDlegislatorsbecamerestive
aboutvotingagainstJitanRamManjhi,aMahadalitwhomKumarhadputinchargeafterresigningaschief
ministerinMaylastyearfollowingtheJDUsdismalperformanceintheLokSabhapolls.
ButKumar,knownasChankayaforhiscarefullyplannedpoliticalmovesthatevenputRashtriyaJanataDalchief
LaluPrasadYadavinpowerin1990,isknowntoworksecretly.Dinnerandluncheonpoliticsoverthepasttwo
weekssawtoitthatevendissenterswithintheJDUfellinlineandopenlydeclaredsupportforKumar.
ThedenouncementcameonFridaymorning,whenManjhiresignedshortlybeforeatrialofstrengthinthe
stateassembly.
Kumarsrisetopoliticalreckoninghappenedin1994,whenmembersofhisKurmicasteorganisedahugerallyat
GandhiMaidan.HisspeechshothimtoprominenceashemadeacalculatedmovetobringtogetherOBCsby
takingoverthesocialjusticemovement.
HecorrectlyguessedtheotherOBCgroupswererestiveunderLaluPrasadYadavsregimeandwantedtobreak
away.However,themovewouldnothavesucceededifsuchamoodwasnotknitintoabroadermosaicofcastes
andfirmeduptopresentaformidableforce.
Itwas,however,closerto2000,whenpublicopinionfirmlyturnedagainstLaluPrasadYadav,thatKumarstarted
hisfirstconcretepoliticalmovetogiveshapetohisSamataPartyandreengineersocialcombinations.
Hewassworninbrieflywiththethinnestofmajorities,whichhelostwithinaweekandthenresignedtospendfive
yearsinpoliticalexile.Butbythebeginningof2005,hewasready.AgraduatefromtheBiharEngineeringCollege
inPatna,Kumarssocialengineeringskillssawhimknitawelterofgroupswiththeuppercastesarraignedagainst
LaluPrasadYadav,usetheirangerandjointhemwithOBCsopposedtoYadavsandextendthegroupingto
embracemiddleclassandurbangroups.
Kumarwonin2005,whenhisJDUjoinedhandswiththeBJPtoformtheformidableNDAcoalitionthatfodder
scamtaintedLaluPrasadPrasad.Thesuccesswasrepeatedheavilyinhisfavourin2010,withtheJDUreturning
with119seatsandtheBJPgetting91,establishingthelatterasamajorforceinBihar.
Kumar,bornintothefamilyofavaidyaorAyurvedadoctoratBakhtiarpuronMarch1,1951,isreturningtoBihars
topspotjustbeforeheturns64.HisvisionforBihariswhatdefinedhimasadifferentpolitician.Hewasnotthe
mantostandinefficiencyordisorder.Heworkedmeticulouslyforupto18hoursaday,realisingthatworkingwith
efficientbureaucratsisabetterwaytotoneupthedeliveryofservices.
Heessayedaseriesofreformstoningupschools,increasingenrolmentofstudents,rechargingdeadhospitals,
buildingroadsandbridges,empoweringwomen,creatingaMahadalitgroupbysegregating21ofthe23castesfor
specialtreatmentanddoles,reserving50%seatsinpanchayatsforwomenandemphasizinginclusivegrowthon
anavowedsecularfoundation.Itpaidoff.
KumarsmodelwithemphasisongrowthandhealthcarewashailedworldwideasBiharseconomyreboundedfrom
virtuallyzerotoa21%growthrate.Realestatepriceszoomed,aspateofcentraleducationalinstitutionscameup
andnewinvestmentinterestpitchforkedBiharfromalaggardstatetoarapidlydevelopingstate.Thegrowthlevel
of14%wasmaintainedfrom2006to2014,tillKumarresigned.
ThegrowthestablishedKumarasanationalplayerandhewasoftencomparedtoGujaratstrongmanNarendra
Modi.KumarhadfamouslyremarkedthatwhileModihadneverhandledanygovernmentattheCentre,hehad
donesoseveraltimesandwasbetterequippedforthetopjobattheCentre.
ThatcompetitivenessprovedtobetheundoingofKumar,astheNDAmovedtoelectModitoleadthe2014charge
forpowerinDelhi.Kumarsteadilylosttheplotafterthat,beingwipedoutintheMay2014polls.Heresignedand

madeManjhithechiefminister.
KumardidclimbbackwithanalliancewiththeCongressandRJDtowinsixof10seatsinbyepollsinAugust2014
buthisalliancewithLaluPrasadYadavandotherstogetthesocialistsbackononeplatformhasnottoucheda
chordwithhisowngroup.
However,hisconsolationliesinthefactthatsocialgroupswhichrepresenttheJDU,RJD,CongressandtheLeft
togethermayweighasmuchtodisrupttheBJPinBiharwhenelectionscomeup,thoughtheexpulsionofManjhi,
whohasemergedasaniconamongDalits,threatensallpoliticalgroups.