By Aafreen Hussain
The Bihar Assembly election has returned and with it, the same old circus. The tents are up, the clowns are ready, and the audience, as always, is waiting to clap.
On Bihar’s political stage, only faces change the story remains the same. The same slogans, the same mudslinging, the same endless chants of mandir–masjid–Pakistan. The air is thick with promises, yet still impossible to breathe.
The Republic of Words
In India’s so-called “heartland,” once again echoes the noise The noise of words, that mean nothing. Every leader shouts louder than the last, as if volume has become the measure of vision.
The BJP roars with nationalism, the RJD swims in the emotions of socialism and Nitish Kumar floats somewhere in between an eternal swimmer in the waters of political convenience.
But the real question remains when will Bihar’s politics rise above religion and become the politics of results?
When unemployment soars sky-high, the leaders debate halal meat. When inflation strangles the poor, Pakistan becomes the topic of the day. And when Bihar’s youth migrate by the millions, the ministers fight for the microphone.
If slogans could fill stomachs, Bihar would be Switzerland today. Giriraj Doctrine: Abuse First, Apologize Later. There’s always one minister who believes public service means shouting at the public. Giriraj Singh is a master of this art every political dish gets a pinch of communal spice from him.
His ministry may be of textiles, but his tongue drips venom. If there were a tax on verbal pollution, Giriraj Singh alone could fix Bihar’s budget deficit.
And whenever lines are crossed, comes the same old theatrical apology: “If anyone’s sentiments have been hurt…”As if hatred were an accidental sneeze!
Tejashwi Yadav: The Face of Hope or Just another Mask? All eyes are on Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD’s Chief Ministerial candidate.
Will he prove to be a better leader than his parents,Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi — both former CMs,whose regimes were always shadowed by corruption?Now, Tejashwi arrives with a storm of new promises but will they be fulfilled,or crumble like sandcastles after the elections?
Today’s voters are mostly young they want jobs, not speeches. Tejashwi has promised “one job per family.” But is that the voice of a visionary leader, or just another verbal expense?
We’ll know on November 14, when the results come.If Tejashwi wins, his promises will face their first test. If he loses, the same old question will echo again —
Which party will actually stand by its manifesto? Or will it be another five years of tears and complaints?Prashant Kishor’s Bihar Yatra: Dream or Mirage?
This election, the spotlight also shines on one man Prashant Kishor, the strategist-turned-contender. The man who once made others win, now tries his own luck. But the question is simple, the man who once calculated others’ equations, can he now solve his own? The Five Promises — or Five Riddles?
His manifesto has five grand pledges: employment, education, healthcare, corruption-free governance, and infrastructure development.
Sounds brilliant but the question is, are these policies or just PowerPoint slides?
Promising jobs is easy, delivering them isn’t. Building roads is easy, building trust is hard. Bihar has heard this tune before only the instruments have changed.
The Nitish–BJP Serial
The BJP still projects Nitish Kumar as its face, but everyone knows the final word doesn’t come from Patna, but from Nagpur. It’s said the RSS wants to place its own man in charge. So, is Nitish really the face or just a mask?
When asked about corruption or the liquor trade, he says, “People must become aware themselves.” Then one wonders — what’s the need for a government at all?
Cash, Votes, and Women’s Laughter, Right before elections — a promise of ₹10,000 to every woman! Will this sudden generosity translate into votes? Or have voters finally learned that gifts and governance are not the same?
Many women laugh and say,
“If the money comes, we’ll take it —but the vote will be ours to give.”In that laughter hides both pain and wisdom politicians remember women only during elections,then forget them right after.
Manifesto or Fantasy?
This year’s manifestos read like fairy tales. RJD promises “a job for every educated youth.” BJP promises “development so dazzling it’ll blind you.”Every party vows to “end corruption.”But they spend crores just to say it. Every five years, leaders rediscover the poor like archaeologists unearthing ruins.
The Muslim Mirage
Muslims make up nearly 19% of Bihar’s population large in number, small in power. They’re called “important” every election, then forgotten afterward.If 2% Yadavs can make a Chief Minister, and 14% OBCs can decide the cabinet,then why can’t 19% Muslims produce a leader? The answer isn’t in numbers it’s in manipulation. They remain a vote bank, not representatives.
Bihar’s Real Epidemic: Corruption
Here, corruption isn’t a crime it’s a system.From birth certificates to death certificates everything has a price. The government talks of “Ease of Doing Business,” but never of “Ease of Living Honestly.” If bribery were an Olympic sport, Bihar would win gold every year.
The Migration of Dreams
Where industrialists go to Gujarat, laborers leave from Bihar. Here, youth earn degrees only to leave home not to fulfill dreams, but to fill stomachs. The Prime Minister says, “India is shining.” Perhaps he’s right but not for those standing in the dark.
Elections: The Entertainment Industry
Bihar’s elections are no longer democracy they’re entertainment. Every five years, new lies same faces. The voters? Unpaid actors, who get promises, not results.So, the final question remains When leaders fight over Pakistan, who fights for Bihar?
Until there’s an honest answer to that, Bihar will remain as it is where poverty votes, power smiles,and promises are the only industry that never shuts down.
The bigger picture
Bihar stands again at a moral crossroads between awakening and apathy, between those who dream and those who sell dreams.
People are tired. They want results, not slogans. Their only question is After the elections, will the government wake up, or go back to sleep like Kumbhkaran? Until that question is answered, Bihar will remain, a land of promises still waiting for its liberation.