Bihar’s Janta & Parties

Caste acquired a bigger profile in the state’s politics after Nitish Kumar’s caste survey. But this very fragmentation of caste groups also stops his ally BJP from emerging as the state’s uber-dominant party

Amid Bihar’s electoral rolls row, and state polls mere weeks away, political parties have been refining their electoral strategies. But as usual, caste remains at the centre of candidate selection.

There is a temptation to present any election in bipolar terms. Five years ago, Lalu Prasad declared that the election was a fight between agda (forwards) and pichhda (backwards), pitching BJP as the party of traditional upper caste elites. In 2024, INDIA coalition had also sought to present the campaign in dual terms, advocating for more substantive care of backward groups.

Read full story on TOI+

END OF ARTICLE