When Nitish Kumar will assume the office of the Chief Minister of Bihar on Sunday after a gap of nine months, the challenges before him would be enormous. The situation, as it is assumed, would be more challenging for him than it was in November 2005 when the first NDA Government involving JD(U) and BJP and headed by him was formed.
The situation then and now are sharply different. The then enemies (RJD and Congress) and now friends and then friend (BJP) is the enemy number one. Not only the political situation but also the general scene is different. "The turnaround of Bihar by Nitish during the past over eight years has undergone adversely and now he has to work harder and also he has very little time," said party's senior functionary Neeraj Kumar. Bihar will go to polls in next winter.
During the last nine months when Jitan Ram Manjhi was at the helm of affairs, there had been many developments that put a brake on development and deteriorated law and order situation. Once again Bihar is being seen as a laggard State known for casteism and lawlessness.
Challenges before Nitish are manifold. But the biggest challenge, said JD(U) spokesperson Dr Ajay Alok, is governance. "Nitish Kumar's USP was good governance and now the improvement is required not only in law and order but on every front from education to health, infrastructure to development and social welfare to delivery." Governance during Manjhi era, he alleged, was affected mainly at bureaucratic level and transfer industry flourished that affected normal functioning of the Government.
Nitish has resolved to work with zeal and dedication and ready to deliver development with justice which he had pledged in the winter of 2005. He fully knows that not only on political scenario but social fronts has also changed.
To win back the confidence of Mahadalit society would be an enormous task for him amid the reports of simmering discontent among this section of society in the wake of Manjhi episode. The Mahadalits who were mildly influenced with the crowning of their man in May last, are now quite bitter and angry over his removal. BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi retorted, "The Mahadalit society which had been a strong supporter of Nitish has fully turned against him and they are swearing to vote against him."
It might be a Herculean task to amend the numerous decisions that Manjhi has made for the Mahadalits including reservation for them in contract for construction works particularly roads and bridges, five decimal land to Mahdalaits for house, deployment of cops of Mahdalit sections in each police station and others. Before quitting on Friday, Manjhi in just four days made over a hundred decisions, which are likely to be reviewed by the new Government.
On the political front, Nitish will have to manage and settle down with traditional rival lalu Prasad in the changed scenario. In 2005 when he came to power, BJP was an ally and the party extended full cooperation to him in running the administration. The RJD was not even a forceful Opposition then. But now with a powerful Opposition, Nitish will have to tread very cautiously. His concentration on improving governance during the next nine months might create certain hindrances in view of a crucial election and seat sharing with new allies even if the merger of the Janata Parivar is not materialised by that time.