Bihar Poll Heat

Though elections in Bihar are still a few months away, the political atmospherics are heating up, not the least because of the intensive voter verification drive being carried out by the Election Commission. Recent instances of crime have grabbed headlines as the murder of a businessman, an advocate and BJP supporter, among others, triggered a discussion on law and order in Patna. The police said the murder has been solved with the arrest of a conspirator with whom the victim had a bitter property dispute. In fact, the accused tried unsuccessfully to kill the victim no less than three times before succeeding, which does not speak well of the competence of the plotters, who come across as amateurs. Though the Opposition RJD has been quick to allege deterioration in law and order, ruling JD(U) leaders point out the crimes were essentially cases of personal enmity and disputes. The waters were further muddied with JD(U)’s NDA partner Chirag Paswan criticising the Nitish Kumar-led government. There is puzzlement over Paswan’s plans. Switching to rival RJD is a risky option, even if it were to be considered. Positioning in a post-Nitish Kumar situation is somewhat premature, unless the idea is to carve an identity even while being a minister at the Centre. The worrying aspect for JD(U) is that some of the crimes have been committed brazenly. The lawyer, for instance, was shot dead at a tea stall where he used to stop daily. On the brighter side, none of the crimes suggest the handiwork of organised gangs.

Wrestling Body Stabilised

The dust has finally settled in the matter regarding the organisational set-up of the Wrestling Federation of India which was roiled by accusations of sexual harassment levelled by a few female wrestlers against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The elections held in December 2023 after Singh resigned were won by Sanjay Singh, understood to be close to the Kaiserganj MP. This was not to the liking of aggrieved wrestlers and the results were criticised on the ground that the new team was a proxy for the MP. The sports ministry initially suspended the new body, but the decision was revoked in March 2025 after lengthy consideration. The election could not be faulted and getting rid of the MP did not mean the government was ready to allow a Congress-controlled committee to step in.

Old Sena Playbook

It is odd, but not altogether surprising, that the liberal and left-leaning sections of the commentariat have failed to feel worked up about the targeting of non-Marathi speakers in Mumbai. Despite the strongarm methods of Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena supporters, hardly any commentator has called out the parties for taking recourse to violence in a desperate bid to revive their political standing ahead of the municipal election in Mumbai. No one is recalling that this is the same UBT that was being hailed for its new found environmental concerns when it stopped the Metro shed at Aarey in 2019.

Strategic Silence Holds

The interesting aspect of Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu’s comments about India’s border being with Tibet rather than China is not just that he spoke his mind. There has been no move to either rebuke him or call on him to clarify comments ahead of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to China. There has been no comment from BJP or the external affairs ministry on Khandu’s statement. Even on the issue of the Dalai Lama’s succession, the ministry said it does not take a view on religious matters. This is not exactly a neutral position as it means India has no objections to any decision the Dalai Lama might take with regard to his successor.

Voice of Truth

The nomination of historian Meenakshi Jain to Rajya Sabha is a welcome recognition. The academic has ploughed a long and often lonely path, battling institutionalised bias in the teaching of history that has sought to minimalise native voices that have recorded their experiences in medieval India. Her writing on the impact of the jizya tax by Islamic rulers on non-Muslims was unpopular as she argued that the demand was nothing but a prod to convert. She has also recorded the destruction
of Hindu temples and the tenacity with which religious beliefs endured.

Son of Soil

In an interesting event in Delhi this week, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu delivered a lecture on PV Narasimha Rao, India’s ninth prime minister, at the Prime Ministers Museum and Library. Naidu has spoken on Rao on previous occasions too but often in Telugu. His address at the museum makes it a special occasion. Interestingly, Rao and TDP founder NT Rama Rao fought a keenly contested Assembly election battle that ended the Congress rule in Andhra Pradesh in 1994. The first prime minister from South India, Rao qualifies for “Telugu bidda (son of soil)” or Telugu pride that TDP has evoked.

Donkey Route Nexus

The ED’s raids related to donkey route scams have reached the doors of a farm leader connected with a Bharatiya Kisan Union faction that was part of the agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws. This is not surprising as the unions have seen the illegal migrant trade as a ready source of income. Information about their activities is flowing from people who were deported by the US after their claims to remain there were rejected. These people are now back in Punjab and testifying against the operators.

Bihar Assembly Election 2025Chirag PaswanJD(U)Meenakshi JainMumbaimunicipal electionsNavnirman SenaNitish KumarPema KhanduRJDvoter verification