Patna: Even 48 hours after the results of the Bihar assembly elections were declared, a palpable mix of disbelief, gloating, and raw agitation hung over the streets of Patna. NDA supporters were jubilant over the mammoth mandate.“I was 100% confident about the victory of the NDA, but I did not imagine they would get over 200 seats,” said Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Bankipur. He credited the victory to the top leadership and said, “PM Modi is definitely a factor, but CM Nitish Kumar continues to be the backbone of this landslide win.”“The first thing I did after the results was offer sweets to my friend, who is an INDIA bloc supporter, because the joy and happiness increase twofold by making the opposition supporters jealous,” he added.INDIA bloc voters, however, struggled to reconcile the numbers. Vivek Kumar from Raja Bazar voiced his frustration, stating, “The data and the numbers do not add up for this NDA victory. Modi magic has somehow taken over Bihar, because even after facing so much opposition, their victory remains unchallenged.”He recalled a pre-poll boast by Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor. “PK mentioned he would quit politics if JD(U) got over 25 seats. So, accordingly, after seeing the results, he would want to leave Bihar altogether because Nitish’s party bagged over 85 seats,” he said.Nishant Kumar, a resident of Kankarbagh, pointed to a highly effective, women-centric campaign by the NDA and said, “Modi solidified the narrative of the ‘jungle raj,’ and this worked very well among the masses, which is why the INDIA bloc did not stand a chance.” He claimed the BJP’s ground-level presence was far superior to that of the Congress, which he said “does not care for Bihar.”Nishant singled out the financial incentives for women as the game-changer. “The transfer of Rs10,000 to the bank accounts of women raised their expectations; they thought that if they brought the NDA back, that amount would soon increase to Rs20,000. Women are the silent voters in Bihar who led to the NDA’s victory.”His friend, Nikhil Tiwari, added, “The booth management with the help of the Jeevika devis massively supported their victory.”The stunning failure of Jan Suraaj united all in surprise. Nishant said, “We expected the RJD seats to go to Jan Suraaj, but instead, they somehow went to the NDA and solidified their victory.”Tiwari, who expected 8-10 seats for Jan Suraaj, added, “The voters in Bihar are set in a pattern, because our state is not Delhi that a change like AAP can be brought in this easily.”And for Sashi Kumar from Mithapur, the outcome for Jan Suraaj was sealed early: “When PK backed out of contesting, people lost faith in his party because he was the face people were rooting for to bring change,” he said.
