<div><em>Political stalwarts exercised little restraint in attacking each other during their poll campaigns in Bihar, writes <strong>D.P. Sharan</strong></em></div><div> </div><div>With the end of last phase of polls on November 5, the fate of candidates in the fray for the 243 seats of Bihar Assembly hangs in the balance.</div><div> </div><div>Although the counting of votes will be held on November 8 and they have, as such, nothing to do for two days (November 6 and 7) except to wait for their fate with bated breath, the future of Bihar is believed to have been "writ large" on the face of the State much ahead of the poll results.</div><div> </div><div>Whether the results go in favour of the NDA or the non-NDA Grand Alliance, the mandate to rule Bihar may amount to either a beginning of the end of decades-old alleged misrule in the State or a fresh bout of skirmishes between the Centre and the State that will put all development issues on the backburner.</div><div> </div><div>The manner in which the rival forces have been at loggerheads about their respective claims to provide better administration to the state, they are now left with no option except to salvage their credentials by ensuring good governance in Bihar.</div><div> </div><div>However, at the same time, the loser in the electoral battle may aim to settle scores with the rival and unsettle the state.</div><div> </div><div>Unlike other Assembly elections in the past, political stalwarts, including the Prime Minister, have left no stone unturned in taking on rivals by levelling grave charges against each other for the abysmal condition of the State.</div><div> </div><div>They have aimed to gain mileage in the elections at the cost of each other's misconduct. But they failed to gauge the sinister implications of their electoral promises that they made while exercising populist measures during the electioneering.</div><div> </div><div>Since the NDA accused its rivals of the Grand Alliance - comprising the JDU of Nitish Kumar, RJD of Lalu Prasad Yadav and the Congress - of reducing the State to the level of Jungle Raj and sought votes to dispense with decades-old misrule of Nitish-Lalu dispensations, on it remains the onus to transform the State into a developed one if it is voted to power.</div><div> </div><div>On the other hand, if the Grand Alliance flayed the Modi dispensation at the centre for cheating the people by assuring to bring back black-money stashed in foreign countries and control the galloping price hike - ostensibly with the avowed objective to tarnish the NDA and woo the voters in their favour - the non-NDA forces cannot run away from their responsibilities to protect the interests of the people of the State.</div><div> </div><div>The abusive language and remarks used by top political leaders against each other during electioneering - in an arduous attempt to wrest or retain power - are, indeed, subversion of the democratic setup and detrimental to civil society.</div><div> </div><div>Such actions, however, are potent enough to have a great impact on the future course of action in Bihar. They accused and abused each other in their respective counter-offensive moves to claim immunity from the charges of inaction at the BJP-led Centre and JDU-ruled Bihar, but, they can neither afford to ignore the State anymore with the fear of a possible backlash in the future that may witness the two rival forces locking horns to hold on to the power at the Centre nor can they afford to stand condemned in the eyes of people in adjoining States while aspiring to make their presence felt during impending assembly elections.</div><div> </div><div>If political observers are to be believed, the post-election scenario of Bihar would decide the political fate of the country. They opine that if the NDA loses the elections to the Grand Alliance in Bihar, it would have a great impact on politics in adjoining States that are scheduled to go to polls in the next two years.</div><div> </div><div>Elections are due in 2016 and 2017 in adjoining States of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh respectively. Subsequently, non-NDA forces that are eyeing to wrest power at the Centre would launch offensives against PM Narendra Modi and his party with renewed vigour.</div><div> </div><div>NDA stalwarts including PM Modi and BJP President Amit Shah have been accused of abetting communal and religious divides by delivering their hate speeches and utterances.</div><div> </div><div>From the issues pertaining to remarks on the 'DNA' of the Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, derogatory views expressed by PM about the presence of evil spirits in RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, advocating for the abolition of quota system by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat to that of Shah's terse comments on possible fireworks in Pakistan in case of BJP's loss in the elections in Bihar have put the NDA in a quandary to deal with minorities in particular while seeking votes in West Bengal and UP where the minorities possess significant voting clout after losing the Bihar elections.</div><div> </div><div>However, if they emerge winners in the elections, they are supposed to play similar tricks in other states too to polarize the Hindu vote banks.</div><div> </div><div>Similarly, if the non-NDA Grand Alliance retains power in Bihar, it would be strong enough to mobilise anti-NDA forces at the Centre by cashing-in on its victory that it achieved in a major trial of strength against none other than the PM-led NDA forces in Bihar.</div><div> </div><div>Notwithstanding, the possibilities of a negative impact of the election result on Bihar's prosperity cannot be ruled out too. Since the bitterness between the two was found to have reached alarming proportions during the elections, they may keep on fighting against each other even after the results.</div><div> </div><div>If the non-NDA Grand Alliance retains power in Bihar, the ruling NDA at the Centre would not be averse to carry out a tirade against the non-NDA-led Bihar Government in order to settle its score that would cost dearly to the Centre-sponsored developmental schemes in particular in the State. Similarly, if the Grand Alliance loses the elections to the NDA, it would not allow the NDA Government to run the show smoothly and delay developmental works.</div>
