Saffronisation with social justice: A grand success of Modi formula in Bihar

PM Narendra Modi and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar (Image: PTI)

BJP has started celebrating its victory in Bihar. Moving towards a thumping majority, he victory seems one sided. Gone are the days when BJP was considered a 'urban-brahmin-bania' party supported by forward caste. It's now firmly engrossed in rural India supported by Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs) and Maha Dalits. The myth of politics of Laloo Yadav based on Muslim-Yadav combine was long been broken in 2005. PM Modi, who himself comes from a backward caste has a special affinity for Bihar and committed for its development. it was his unflinching confidence in Nitish Kumar despite his 'Paltu Ram' image proved to be a game changer this time. The message for rural and backward Bihar was clear that they are not going to suffer any more under this regime. PM Modi is providing free grains and Nitish Kumar transferring cash into women's account was game changer.

According to 2022-23 Bihar caste survey, the share of different caste groups is EBCs at 36%, OBCs 27.1%, SC 19.6%, upper castes 15.5% and STs at 1.6%. In the caste ridden politics of Bihar where developments take a backstage, every caste group had their own set of heroes in the post-independence era. Karpuri Thakur started as the icon of backwards in 1970s, and later leaders like Laloo Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Ram Vilas Paswan who came out of JP movement emerged as icons of Dalits and backwards. They ruled the roost in the decades to come.

Laloo Prasad Yadav was smartest of all. A street-smart politician, Laloo with strong backing of Yadavas projected as 'Messiah' of Minorities. Laloo wooed EBCs and Maha Dalits among the few. Laloo even added Rajputs in their vote bank as senior and respected caste leaders like Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Jagatanand Singh joined his bandwagon. Nitish Kumar, Ramvilas Paswan after initial honeymoon period of Janata Dal parted ways with Laloo later weaking his hold over EBCs and some backward castes. Laloo Yadav lost Kurmi-Kushwaha votes, and Dalits' vote due to Ram Vilas Paswan who also formed his own party.

In 1990 assembly polls, there was a paradigm shift in political power towards 4 major castes—Yadav, Kurmi, Koeri and Baniyas. But Dalits despite being in sizeable number of populations were largely unaffected by this forward-backward caste politics. Laloo Yadav's fairy tale run continued till 2005 when Nitish Kumar supported by Saffron Brigade led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee made first serious dent in his invincible aura. It was a 15-year long tenure laden with corruption, crime, anarchy, poverty, and Yadavs of Laloo clan making life difficult for other castes.

Yadavas flexing muscles also alienated the extremely backward castes. It was this non-Yadav backwards who were not dominants and Mahadalits that the BJP started wooing as their vote bank. In Bihar, the Dalits constitute over 19.5% population of Bihar in which Paswan caste is at 5.31%, Ravidas at 5.25% and Musahars at around 3.1%. Given the size of Dalit population in the state, they should have been a dominant force. But that has been far from reality. The primarily agrarian structure of Bihar which is 80% rural and that represents a strong connect between caste and highly unequal landholding pattern with no Dalit holding land in 10 acres and above as compared to a whopping 77.4% of upper castes holding 10 acres and above.

According to a data of Rural Bihar, 44% of Dalits are landless on the other hand 2.9% of upper caste are landless. The marginality of the Dalits had pushed them to resist sometimes in Naxal movement and peasant revolts. worst sufferers of caste injustice. Bihar in 1970s, 80s & 90s, witnessed numerous cases of caste related violence. Ara, located in the Bhojpur district and Jehanabad near Gaya were major flashpoint for extreme caste conflicts during this time, often between land-owning upper castes and landless lower castes or Naxalite groups.

BJP who had negligible presence in Bihar till Laloo Yadav's emergence got shot in the arm when George Fernandes and Nitish Kumar Joined hands with the BJP in 1995. The slowly the forward and bania party with Nitish Kumar's Kurmi vote bank started gaining ground. Their alliance slowly started getting stronger as more and more non-Yadav backward and Mahadalits and EBCs started consolidating the vote bank of NDA. The breakthrough in Bihar politics came in November 2005 after witnessing 15 years of Laloo's misrule. After that it was Nitish Kumar led NDA all the way.

Nitish Kumar's image as a secular and honest leader and coming from a backward community also helped NDA to gain foothold. Nitish's flip flop towards Laloo in 2015 and 2020 didn't deter PM Modi to bring Nitish back to the NDA fold. One can say that not only the popularity of a PM belonging to backward caste in the backward community but the confidence he showed in another backward leader Nitish Kumar proved to be a game changer in 2025.

It was the concept of RSS 'samrasta sabhas' and 'sewa bastis' in remote and extremely backward villages and all those backward castes which are socially 'sanatanis' started to support the social justice propagated by the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. The non Yadav backwards, Dalits like Ravidas, Dhobi, Khatik, toddy tappers sided with the BJP and NDA which was further strengthened by Musahar caste led by Jitanram Manjhi. This was an alliance no body can dream to beat in the polls.

The message of voters from rural and backward Bihar is very loud and clear that not only Bihar has stood solidly with PM Modi but rural India is also firmly behind the Prime Minister who is providing free food to rural and poor people since the Covid times.