A%20lot%20was%20at%20stake%20for%20Nitish%20Kumar%20but%20a%20lot%20more%20was%20for%20Prime%20Minister%20Narendra%20Modi%20and%20the%20BJP%20in%20the%20elections%20of%20Bihar%20and%20by-polls%20in%20other%20states%u2014with%20the%20severe%20economic%20stress%20caused%20by%20a%20slowdown%20in%20trade%20and%20business%2C%20urban%20joblessness%20and%20rural%20distress%20weighing%20down%20on%20voters.%3Cbr%3EA%20drubbing%20would%20have%20meant%20not%20just%20the%20severe%20loss%20of%20face%20for%20the%20top%20campaigners%2C%20including%20Modi%20but%20also%20a%20severe%20indictment%20of%20the%20policies%20of%20the%20Central%20government%20and%20BJP%20chief%20ministers%20in%20the%20states%20where%20by-polls%20were%20held.%3Cbr%3EBy%20winning%20Bihar%2C%20Modi%20has%20shown%20that%20a%20year%20after%20the%202019%20landslide%20win%20in%20the%20Lok%20Sabha%20polls%2C%20he%20retains%20the%20confidence%20of%20a%20majority%20of%20voters.%20Similarly%2C%20the%20results%20of%20the%20by-polls%20in%20key%20states%20like%20Madhya%20Pradesh%2C%20Uttar%20Pradesh%2C%20and%20Gujarat%20have%20shown%20the%20BJP%20remains%20strong%20enough%20under%20respective%20chief%20ministers.
%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%20%7C%3C/strong%3E%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/in-bihar-cliffhanger-nitish-kumar-is-the-king-bjp-the-kingmaker%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowered%20by%20the%20BJP%2C%20a%20diminished%20Nitish%20Kumar%20retains%20Bihar%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E%3Cbr%3EIn%20Madhya%20Pradesh%20particularly%2C%20a%20BJP%20win%20was%20crucial%20for%20the%20support%20of%20sufficient%20numbers%20for%20the%20Shivraj%20Singh%20Chauhan%20government%20to%20continue%20unhindered.%20It%20was%20a%20personal%20test%20for%20rebel%20Congress%20leader%20Jyotiraditya%20Scindia%20to%20prove%20his%20ground%20as%20he%20had%20switched%20to%20the%20BJP%20to%20pull%20down%20the%20Kamal%20Nath-led%20Congress%20ministry%20early%20this%20year.%3Cbr%3ESecondly%2C%20Bihar%20enables%20Modi%20to%20get%20the%20comfort%20of%20time%20and%20opportunity%20–%20before%20the%20UP%20polls%20in%202022%20and%20the%20Lok%20Sabha%20elections%20in%202024%20–%20%26nbsp%3Bto%20fix%20a%20host%20of%20issues%20that%20bedevil%20the%20economy%2C%20particularly%20the%20lack%20of%20growth%20and%20job%20opportunities%2C%20which%20is%20a%20nightmare%20for%20India%u2019s%20teeming%20youth%20for%20whom%20the%20bread-and-butter%20issues%20are%20mattering%20more%20and%20more%20than%20the%20old%20nationalistic%20commitments.
%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%20%7C%3C/strong%3E%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/behind-bihars-small-success-a-big-picture-for-owaisis-aimim%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EBehind%20Bihar%u2019s%20small%20success%2C%20a%20big%20picture%20for%20Owaisi%u2019s%20AIMIM%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E%3Cbr%3EAs%20the%20people%u2019s%20expectations%20grow%2C%20Modi%20may%20have%20to%20get%20bolder%20on%20faster%20economic%20reforms%2C%20unshackle%20the%20engines%20of%20growth%2C%20and%20go%20beyond%20the%20current%20focus%20on%20efficient%20delivery%20of%20social%20welfare%20schemes%20alone%2C%20which%20has%20been%20the%20hallmark%20of%20his%20governance.%20Welfarism%20will%20matter%20but%20a%20new%20governance%20model%20requires%20Modi%20speed%20up%20measures%20that%20spur%20economic%20growth.%3Cbr%3EOf%20course%2C%20the%20Bihar%20polls%20were%20the%20most%20important%20for%20they%20were%20a%20big%20call%20on%20the%20performance%20of%20Nitish%20Kumar-led%20NDA%20and%20also%20the%20first%20state%20elections%20after%20Covid-19.%20The%20pandemic%20had%20let%20loose%20a%20trail%20of%20lockdown-induced%20economic%20destruction%20and%20human%20tragedy%20involving%20hundreds%20of%20migrant%20workers%20literally%20trekking%20back%20home%20from%20big%20cities.%3Cbr%3EIn%20Bihar%2C%20there%20were%20added%20negatives%20like%20the%20vote%20fatigue%20due%20to%20the%20last-lustre%20performance%20of%20the%20last%20five%20years%20under%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/nitish-kumar-the-shrewd-survivor%22%3ENitish%20Kumar%3C/a%3E%20who%20had%20been%20in%20office%20uninterrupted%20since%202005%20%28excepting%20for%20nine%20months%20in-between%29.%20Neither%20Nitish%20Kumar%20nor%20the%20BJP%20can%20rest%20on%20their%20laurels%20of%20ending%20a%20%u201Cjungle%20raj%u201D%2015%20years%20ago.%3Cbr%3EMore%20importantly%2C%20a%20large%20section%20of%20voters%20will%20constantly%20look%20for%20alternatives%20in%20younger%20leaders%20like%20Tejashwi%20Yadav%20of%20the%20RJD%u2014%20notwithstanding%20his%20party%u2019s%20past%20record%20in%20governance%u2014%20and%20even%20if%20his%20allies%20like%20Rahul%20Gandhi-led%20Congress%20are%20unable%20to%20meet%20their%20aspirations%20while%20the%20Left%20including%20extreme%20CPI%28Marxist-Leninist%29%20succeed%20in%20piggy%20riding%20on%20any%20anti-BJP%20bandwagon.%3Cbr%3EBut%20it%20is%20indisputable%20that%20Modi%20continues%20to%20enjoy%20the%20primacy%20among%20all%20political%20leaders%20among%20the%20voters%20and%20that%20he%20can%20propel%20the%20BJP%20and%20its%20allies%20in%20state%20elections%20%u2014%20even%20if%20the%20polls%20in%20Jharkhand%20and%20Haryana%20%28where%20BJP%20had%20to%20tie%20up%20with%20a%20post-poll%20ally%20%29were%20an%20exception.
%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%20%7C%3C/strong%3E%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/tejashwis-bid-to-recast-lalus-rjd-remains-a-work-in-progress%22%3E%3Cstrong%3ETejashwi%27s%20bid%20to%20recast%20Lalu%27s%20RJD%20remains%20a%20work%20in%20progress%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E%3Cbr%3EBy%20his%20campaign%20under%20strict%20Covid%20protocol%2C%20Modi%20pulled%20the%20NDA%20chestnut%20out%20of%20the%20political%20fire%20in%20Bihar%20and%20enabled%20Nitish%20Kumar%20to%20win%20a%20fourth%20term%2C%20despite%20his%20party%20losing%20seats%2C%20thanks%20due%20to%20a%20rebellious%20NDA%20ally%20Lok%20Jan%20Shakti%20%28LJP%29%20of%20Chirag%20Paswan%20who%20caused%20immense%20damage%20to%20the%20vote%20share%20and%20seat%20tally.%3Cbr%3EBihar%20polls%20also%20showed%20that%20the%20BJP%20does%20not%20always%20need%20the%20services%20of%20a%20leader%20like%20Amit%20Shah%20on%20the%20field%20to%20win%20elections.%20J%20P%20Nadda%2C%20as%20his%20successor%20and%20the%20party%20chief%2C%20can%20as%20well%20manage%20the%20poll%20machinery%20under%20the%20former%u2019s%20guidance.%20The%20verdict%20is%20a%20feather%20in%20Nadda%u2019s%20cap%20because%20he%20had%20begun%20his%20political%20career%20in%20that%20state%20as%20a%20student%20activist.%3Cbr%3EThe%20Bihar%20verdict%20is%20bound%20to%20boost%20the%20morale%20of%20BJP%20cadres%20in%20neighbouring%20West%20Bengal%20where%20Amit%20Shah%20is%20back%20in%20charge%20to%20oust%20Mamata%20Banerjee-led%20Trinamool%20Congress%20from%20its%20bastion.%20Bengal%20goes%20to%20polls%20in%20April-May%202021%2C%20along%20with%20Assam%20%28where%20the%20BJP%20is%20better%20poised%20to%20retain%20power%29.%20%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%3EEven%20in%20the%20deeper%20south%2C%20the%20BJP%20may%20be%20tempted%20to%20try%20its%20luck%20harder%20in%20the%20Dravidian%20parties-dominated%20Tamil%20Nadu%20and%20Kerala%20where%20it%20is%20the%20musical%20chair%20between%20a%20Congress-led%20UDF%20and%20the%20Left%20Front.%20These%20two%20states%20also%20have%20polls%20early%20next%20year.%20The%20opposition%20DMK%20may%20be%20tempted%20not%20to%20yield%20to%20the%20demands%20of%20the%20Congress%20in%20Tamil%20Nadu%20after%20seeing%20its%20performance%20in%20Bihar%2C%20which%20prevented%20Tejaswhi%20from%20wresting%20power%20from%20Nitish%20Kumar.%26nbsp%3B
%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23BJP%22%20data-user-id%3D%22cqfihWqpWO59%22%20href%3D%22/topic/bjp%22%3E%23BJP%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23Congress%22%20data-user-id%3D%22KGrnteP5qPtc%22%20href%3D%22/topic/congress%22%3E%23Congress%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23BiharElection2020%22%20data-user-id%3D%22BV2zd2QfB7Kx%22%20href%3D%22/topic/bihar-election-2020%22%3E%23BiharElection2020%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23NarendraModi%22%20data-user-id%3D%22jDp4x2dV65uK%22%20href%3D%22/topic/narendra-modi%22%3E%23NarendraModi%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23RahulGandhi%22%20data-user-id%3D%22kRlIzzDlxJw7%22%20href%3D%22/topic/rahul-gandhi%22%3E%23RahulGandhi%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B
