One of Lalu Prasad’s most famous promises was to make the roads of Bihar as smooth as Hema Malini’s cheeks. In Nitish Kumar’s Bihar, that comparison with the veteran actor’s glamour is missing but people are happy to note that the network of roads is at least as effective as the biceps of Dharmendra, Hema Malini’s husband and a Bollywood actor.
Travel time between Patna and Darbhanga via Muzaffarpur has almost been halved, just as in many parts of Bihar the road journey has become comfortable. The fluorescent signboards show it as National Highway 47 but the Centre’s role finds little mention among the masses.
The first three phases, where North Bihar’s polling of 140 seats will be complete, is going to be a make-or-break time for Nitish Kumar. The flood-affected, drought-hit region will test how Kumar has been able to deliver on his sole mantra — development with justice. The Congress is also eyeing the same development slot and will try to poach the upper caste and Muslim vote bank.
The government handbook says since 2006-07, 23,606 kms of road have been constructed or renovated. Lalu Prasad, however, takes the entire credit of this turnaround. The former chief minister tells his followers that he had actually set in motion the development agenda and Nitish Kumar is just reaping the benefits.
Kumar’s counter-attack showcases fearless, late night travels that were not quite possible in Lalu’s days. “You don’t hurry to come back home after sunset. You don’t feel scared to go out at night,” Kumar says in public meetings.
The Congress is attacking Kumar for shoddy implementation of many central schemes. But privately, it admits that Kumar has scored on two areas: Law and order and empowerment for women in panchayats. A survey by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation a few years ago said that 26 of India’s 100 poorest districts are from Bihar; the bulk of these belong to northern areas. Public infrastructures are slowly coming into place, but jobs remain a distant dream.
It’s not that the new infrastructure will offset old inhibitions of caste equation. But the CM has at least achieved in making vikaas (development) a poll agenda this time.
