Between promises and performance
Nitish’s fatigue meets Tejaswi’s momentum as Bihar stands ready to judge its own political legacy. Once again, Bihar finds itself at the centre of a democratic reckoning. The 2025 Assembly election is not merely a political contest — it is a moral referendum on two decades of governance, broken promises, and a restless generation’s demand for justice, jobs, and dignity.
The Unkept Promises of “Sushasan”
The NDA, led by Nitish Kumar, enters this election under the heavy weight of its 2020 manifesto — a catalogue of promises that faded faster than the ink on which they were printed. The 19 lakh jobs pledged in 2020 have now been inflated into a promise of one crore in 2025 — a leap of ambition unmatched by planning or sincerity. Nitish’s own remark, “Where will the money come from?”, captures the crisis of credibility his government faces.
In contrast, Tejaswi Yadav’s 17-month stint in power gave young voters a glimpse of possibility — a period in which recruitment drives and administrative accountability seemed to return. His confidence became the mirror that reflected Nitish’s fatigue.
Floods, Corruption, and Failing Infrastructure
Each year, North Bihar drowns - not only in floodwaters but in official indifference. Embankments collapse, bridges crumble, and compensation trickles down slower than the floodwaters recede. The recurrent bridge collapses despite billions in expenditure expose a pattern: corruption has become structural, not incidental. Even Prime Minister Modi’s famous quip, “Do you need a lalten when there is light?”, now rings hollow in villages that still await reliable electricity and Internet connectivity — seventy years after Independence.
Populism Disguised as Welfare
Sensing discontent, the NDA government has turned to a flurry of freebies: 125 units of free electricity, enhanced pensions, cash transfers for women, and the expansion of Ujjwala and Viswakarma Yojanas. But voters can see through the timing - schemes announced on the eve of elections cannot erase years of inaction.
The Viswakarma Yojana, in particular, has been criticised for linking caste identity to monetary benefit, turning empowerment into caste-based patronage. What should have been economic inclusion has instead deepened social fault lines.
An Economy That Never Took Off
Despite its fertile land and industrious people, Bihar remains India’s poorest state. It ranks last in per capita income (`60,337 in 2024), second-last in higher education enrollment, and continues to lag in health and gender indices.
Even in its strong sectors — such as Makhana production — Bihar exports raw produce while others reap the profits. The late creation of a Makhana Board with a modest `100 crore allocation, just before elections, feels more like an attempt to woo the Mallah vote than to industrialise the Mithila region.
Leadership Without a Face
The NDA’s 2025 Sankalp Patra reveals an even deeper problem, a leadership vacuum. The alliance has chosen not to project a Chief Ministerial face, reflecting internal anxiety about Nitish Kumar’s political relevance. His frequent political realignments have eroded the image of “Sushasan Babu.”
Once a symbol of administrative stability, Nitish now finds himself mocked as the head of a “copy-paste government”, borrowing ideas from RJD’s playbook. On the other side stands Tejaswi Yadav, leading the Mahagathbandhan with the slogan “Bihar ka Tejaswi Pran” — a call that resonates with the youth, Dalits, women, and backward communities. His campaign has been rooted in employment, meritocracy, and transparency - the very issues the NDA has repeatedly evaded. By combining social justice with developmental pragmatism, Tejaswi has reframed the debate from “who rules Bihar” to “who represents Bihar.” His brief but active governance period, inclusive seat distribution, and consistent articulation of youth concerns have transformed him from a political inheritor to a credible contender.
Between Trust and Fatigue
This election, then, is less about parties and more about trust versus betrayal, vision versus inertia. Bihar’s electorate - politically aware, emotionally invested, and often cynical - understands that freebies cannot substitute for jobs, nor can slogans replace governance.
The anti-incumbency tide, the unemployment crisis, and the awakening of marginalized voices may together script a new political chapter. For the first time in many years, the contest seems to be between a generation that remembers Nitish’s first promise and one that believes in Tejaswi’s first step.
The Verdict of a Politicised People
Bihar has never lacked awareness; it has often lacked alternatives. In 2025, it may finally find one. The question before its voters is simple yet profound: Will they choose continuity or change? Because after two decades of recycled manifestos and half-built dreams, Bihar’s people deserve not another slogan, but a government that listens, delivers, and believes. In the end, Bihar deserves more than promises - it deserves performance.
