Jai Ho Bihar! A convict brings you back to the limelight

Eleven years in jail and finally Mohammad Shahabuddin, a former or still a close aide of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad is out on bail. And the former Siwan MP wastes no time to shower tributes on his 'mentor.'

According to him, Nitish Kumar became the Bihar Chief Minister due to circumstances, a statement challenged by both Kumar's JD (U) and ally Congress. However, a section of the third segment of the Mahagathbandhan, RJD has actually endorsed Shahabuddin's view on Kumar and his acumen as a lawmaker. Hindustan Times quotes Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, a senior Lalu loyalist, "There is no denying that Lalu Prasad is the real leader. Does Nitish have the strength (to form a government)?"

What was perceived to be a strong front to stymie the Narendra Modi tide in the Bihar elections last year seems to be crumbling. When long-time foes Kumar and Prasad buried the hatchet to launch a fight against BJP, eyebrows were raised. Many doubted the viability of the alliance, keeping in mind the acrimony the two had for each other that even percolated down to a personal level.

Now thanks to Shahabuddin, a war of words, putting the alliance at stake seems a possibility. Despite Kumar's image of a no-nonsense man having controlled crime and ushered in a new era of development in Bihar in his earlier term, the current reign has been mired in one controversy after another. Be it the education scam, hooch tragedy or series of murders and an overall complete breakdown in law and order, Kumar is finding going tough. His overdrive on prohibition has only opened new doors for smuggling of liquors from neighbouring states.

The prohibition bill did meet with sharp resistances. Though Prasad's party supported the bill on the floor of the assembly, a report in The Telegraph says that the former Union Railways Minister (Prasad) termed the bill 'draconian.' If this is one part, the ambitious leader Prasad is, it's quite unlikely that he would recede to the background and let his 'friend' Kumar hog the limelight. Prasad may be banned from contesting by the Courts, but deep down, he still nurtures ambitions to rule the state.

This is exactly where Shahabuddin gets a big role to play. Though, Prasad hasn't reacted to Shahabuddin's salvo at the Bihar CM, but knowing him and his prowess over the art of political manipulations, he knows he has a lieutenant who can muddle Kumar's run towards political and administrative glory. Politically, the next few days will bear testimony to where exactly the alliance is heading. It would be interesting to note how Prasad deals with Shahabuddin. Will he desert him or use him tactically to pull the rug from under Kumar's feet?

However, only a fool will conclude Prasad will be juvenile enough to attack the CM. He would do it at his own expense and Congress won't be party to it. It will only give a fillip to a beleaguered BJP to enjoy some fresh air. But at the same time, Prasad won't be letting go of this opportunity to breathe down the neck of his foe-turned-friend.

For Kumar, the acid test begins now. Instead of going overboard on prohibition, he should focus on curbing crime and corruption and thwart every attempt to challenge his government. It's going to be a tough ask, but being the seasoned politician, Kumar is, he should be ready for the challenge.

Bihar is back in the national limelight.

Corruption? What's that?

As the counting process is set to come to an end, two leaders heaving a huge sigh of relief would be Mamata Banerjee and J Jayalaithaa. Not only have they retained power in their states (West Bengal and Tamil Nadu), they have also rebutted the anti-incumbency wave threatening to upset their prospects before the polls.

Corruption was the main poll plank of Banerjee’s opponents. Saradha and Narada gave Left Front, Congress and BJP two powerful weapons to clip her wings. Looking down south, Tamil Nadu is one of the most corrupt Indian states as per a survey by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). Jayalalithaa herself has been in jail in the disproportionate of assets case. But both the firebrand leaders are set for a second consecutive term as CMs. And this brings us to the question:  Is corruption a non-issue in Indian elections? The reply is: Both Yes and No.

Looking at West Bengal, Banerjee may have a clean image, but some of her party heavyweights are embroiled in graft charges. Yet, voters have reposed their faith in her party (Trinamool Congress). To the people, it’s development that matters and not an unblemished image. Didi's pro-poor schemes have earned her votes despite some of her senior party members being allegedly on the wrong side of the law.

Isn’t it a dangerous trend? Don’t be surprised if on the pretext of serving people, more and more corrupt elements continue to be elected to Parliament and Assemblies. Yes, investigations are still on to unveil the truth, but Banerjee herself in one way or the other has accepted the authenticity of the Narada tapes. Incidentally, barring Madan Mitra, all her candidates whose names have come up in the Narada sting have won the people’s verdict.

In Tamil Nadu, the situation is worse. Unlike in Bengal, corruption was not the main issue over which AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa’s political foes campaigned against her. The reason being even the main opposition party DMK has been in the thick of corruption (2G and Aircel Maxim cases). Talk of Jayalalithaa, she had to even relinquish the CM’s post before getting it back after the Supreme Court granted her bail in 2014.

Corruption is a common practice for both the main parties in Tamil Nadu. Yet, Amma has triumphed over all impediments riding on among others, the promise for more freebies and complete prohibition. Corruption is not totally a forgotten chapter though. The UDF government in Kerala led by Oommen Chandy has been ousted from power. In Chandy’s case, poor governance along with graft allegations have been key factors behind his loss. But Keralites have a history of voting against incumbency every five years.

Looking at the larger picture, there’s a tendency in the electorate to look beyond corruption. One factor that brought the downfall of UPA 2 in the 2014 Parliamentary Elections was its failure to tackle corruption. Coal, 2G, Commonwealth Games, Railways—scams after scams and Manmohan Singh had to concede defeat to Narendra Modi. However, the tides seem to have taken a different turn if the results of the recent state elections are any indication.

If Banerjee with 211 seats (as of now), is back in the saddle, Jayalalithaa is the first Tamil Nadu chief minister to hold on to the coveted post in 32 years. She follows in the footsteps of her mentor MG Ramachandran who achieved it in 1984. The victory gives Banerjee a chance to take pot-shots at her detractors. “There is no corruption in Bengal. It is a corrupt free state,” she said at a press meet after the verdict was out. Well, the resounding mandate from the people has her on top of the world.

At a chat session over cups of tea in Kolkata, a senior corporate guy wonders, “How can people be so blind? Despite West Bengal going back to the Stone Age, they bring TMC back to Nabanna (the government headquarters).”

If Brazil can suspend its President Dilma Rousseff and push her towards facing impeachment, we Indians on the contrary continue to pamper candidates who are purportedly caught taking ‘donations’ on camera.