Why Bihar’s Demand for Change Targeted the Incumbent

The strong demand for “badlav” or change that was seen and heard across
Bihar during the election campaign was mainly directed at the 20-year-old
government. Whether it was about corruption, rising prices, unemployment,
strict bureaucracy, the problems caused by the liquor ban, or the lack of
factories that forces people to migrate for work — voters said they wanted
better and more. And they expected this improvement from Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar, who has been in power for nine terms, not from the opposition.
To understand the election result, it is also important to understand what
did not cause it.
Many political commentators claim that the NDA won because the government
transferred ₹10,000 to women under the Mahila Rojgar Yojana just before the
election. This was the first instalment of a scheme meant to support women
entrepreneurs. Although giving cash right before voting raises questions and
shows the need for stricter rules on last-minute announcements by ruling
parties, this payment alone may not be the main reason for the NDA’s
victory, as some people believe.