Patna: ‘Tiger Abhi Zinda Hai’, the title of a Bollywood hit, doubled as a political message from JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who insisted he was ‘neither tired nor ready to step aside’ as his party climbed to 85 seats, nearly doubling its 2020 performance. The improved showing revived debates around his political durability as he confronted doubts about his age, health and public appeal.
Kumar entered the campaign under pressure. For months, there were murmurs that voters had grown weary of his long tenure and that his health had become a political talking point. The 74-year-old responded with an intensive rollout of welfare measures that his rivals said reshaped the tone of the election. These included higher social security pensions and new financial support for Jeevika, Aasha and Aanganwadi workers. A key component was the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana, which transferred ten thousand rupees each to the bank accounts of more than one crore women.
The scale of these announcements drew sharp reactions. RJD leader and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav accused the government of becoming a “copycat”. Pavan Varma, once a trusted aide and now with Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, urged the Election Commission to examine the alleged “bribing of voters”.
Throughout the campaign, Kumar dismissed these attacks while navigating speculation that the BJP might attempt a repeat of its Maharashtra strategy to edge him out of influence. Yet the JD(U) leader appeared confident, citing the NDA arithmetic at the Centre, where the BJP, lacking a majority in the Lok Sabha, counted on his support.
The BJP, deploying Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its star campaigner, brought considerable force to the field. Modi addressed fourteen rallies and led a roadshow. The two leaders shared a stage only once, at an opening event in Samastipur, but the Prime Minister repeatedly referred to the “good work done by Nitish babu” while warning voters about the prospect of “jungle raj” returning.
Whether Kumar secures another term remains unresolved. BJP voices have signalled varying expectations about leadership in Bihar, most notably when Union Home Minister Amit Shah remarked in a recent interview that “legislators of the NDA will decide” the next chief minister. This statement widened discussions within the alliance and set off interpretation battles in political circles.
Kumar’s journey has often moved in unexpected directions. Born in 1951 in Bakhtiyarpur, he joined politics during the JP Movement and first contested an assembly seat in 1977. He won his first election in 1985 and over nearly fifty years built a reputation for shifting alliances, which earned him the nickname Paltu Ram. This time, however, the INDIA bloc lacks the numbers needed to shape an alternative arrangement.
For years, speculation has surfaced that he might be offered a national constitutional post as an honourable exit route. None of those rumours materialised. Instead, the electorate delivered a result that both strengthens his party and leaves his personal political future in suspense.
Still, women voters, many of whom benefited from his welfare initiatives, appear to have played a decisive role in this round. For a leader who has governed longer than any of his predecessors, the verdict serves as a significant, if uncertain, turning point in a career marked by reinvention.