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Editorial · 2 min read · THE HINDU PAPER EDITORIAL

Political Transition and Shifting Alliances in Bihar

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The political landscape of Bihar is undergoing a significant transformation , marked by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's decision to step aside from his leadership role. This development, though seemingly sudden, culminates a long-term strategic evolution for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which aims to entrench its influence across diverse social strata and new regions. Kumar, a seasoned politician at 75, has often oscillated between alliances with the BJP and the Congress-led opposition, yet consistently maintained the allegiance of a substantial segment of the state's Other Backward Classes (OBC). His advanced age had visibly impaired his political efficacy , but his perceived indispensability allowed him to remain at the helm. The BJP’s ascendancy in Bihar has been a gradual process. The 2025 Assembly elections saw the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secure a resounding victory, capturing 202 out of 243 seats. Significantly, the BJP emerged as the leading party with 89 seats, narrowly surpassing the JD(U)'s 85. Despite earlier reluctance to endorse Kumar as the NDA's chief ministerial nominee, the BJP recognized the impracticality of contesting without his appeal. Now, merely four months after his tenth swearing-in, Kumar has filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha, conspicuously accompanied by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This delicate political manoeuvre by the BJP seeks to gently push aside Kumar while carefully preserving the intricate social fabric that unites various Hindu caste groups. Alienating the OBCs could incur severe political repercussions . Nevertheless, the party is resolutely committed to formalizing its hegemony in Bihar, a dominance already evident since the 2020 Assembly elections when it won 74 seats compared to the JD(U)'s 43. This transition mirrors a four-decade BJP strategy: initially forging alliances with regional factions to gain a foothold , then progressively asserting superiority, and ultimately supplanting its erstwhile partners. Bihar exemplifies this pattern, akin to Maharashtra, where Eknath Shinde fronted the election, but Devendra Fadnavis ultimately assumed the Chief Ministership. Kumar's political eclipse signals a profound shift, potentially drawing a close to Bihar’s half-century legacy of social justice politics, which was rooted in Lohiaite assertion, OBC empowerment , and resistance to upper-caste control. This moment carries a distinct sense of finality for the state's political trajectory .

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Vocabulary from this Editorial

Akin adjective

of similar character; related to.

Synonyms: similar, comparable, analogous

"His leadership style is akin to that of a seasoned diplomat."

Allegiance noun

loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior or of an individual to a group or cause.

Synonyms: loyalty, fidelity, devotion

"The citizens pledged their allegiance to the new constitution."

Alienating verb

causing someone to feel isolated or estranged; turning away in feeling or affection.

Synonyms: estranging, distancing, isolating

"His extreme views risked alienating potential supporters."

Ascendancy noun

occupation of a position of dominant power or influence.

Synonyms: dominance, supremacy, preeminence

"The party's ascendancy in the polls was a clear sign of changing public opinion."

Asserting verb

stating a fact or belief confidently and forcefully.

Synonyms: declaring, affirming, insisting

"By asserting her rights, she inspired others to do the same."

Assumed verb

took or began to have power or responsibility.

Synonyms: undertook, seized, acquired

"The young CEO assumed control of the company after the founder's retirement."

Capturing verb

taking control of something, especially a strategic position or an election victory.

Synonyms: winning, securing, seizing

"The candidate was confident of capturing a majority of the votes."

Committed adjective

pledged or bound to a certain course or policy; dedicated.

Synonyms: dedicated, devoted, loyal

"The organization is deeply committed to environmental protection."

Conspicuously adverb

in a clearly visible way; in a way that attracts notice or attention.

Synonyms: noticeably, evidently, prominently

"He conspicuously avoided eye contact during the meeting, raising suspicions."

Culminates verb

reaches a climax or point of highest development; ends with.

Synonyms: climax, conclude, terminate

"The year-long project culminates in a grand exhibition next month."

Diverse adjective

showing a great deal of variety; very different.

Synonyms: varied, miscellaneous, heterogeneous

"The university prides itself on its diverse student population."

Eclipse noun

a loss of significance, power, or prominence in relation to another person or thing.

Synonyms: decline, obscurity, fading

"The rise of the new party led to the eclipse of its long-standing rival."

Efficacy noun

the ability to produce a desired or intended result.

Synonyms: effectiveness, potency, success

"The efficacy of the new medicine is still under review."

Empowerment noun

the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights.

Synonyms: enfranchisement, authorization, enablement

"Education is key to the empowerment of women in developing countries."

Endorse verb

declare one's public approval or support of.

Synonyms: approve, support, sanction

"Many celebrities refuse to endorse political candidates publicly."

Entrench verb

establish (an attitude, habit, or belief) so firmly that change is very difficult or unlikely.

Synonyms: establish, embed, ingrain

"Years of propaganda helped entrench the party's ideology in the public consciousness."

Erstwhile adjective

former; in the past.

Synonyms: former, previous, onetime

"The erstwhile leader now lives a quiet life away from politics."

Evident adjective

plain or obvious; clearly seen or understood.

Synonyms: obvious, apparent, clear

"Her talent for music was evident from a young age."

Exemplifies verb

is a typical example of; illustrates by example.

Synonyms: typifies, illustrates, demonstrates

"The architect's latest building truly exemplifies modern design principles."

Fabric noun

the essential structure or underlying foundations of something.

Synonyms: structure, framework, composition

"The scandal threatened to tear apart the very fabric of society."

Factions noun

a small organized dissenting group within a larger one, especially in politics.

Synonyms: cliques, camps, blocs

"Internal factions within the party struggled for control."

Finality noun

the fact or impression of being final and irreversible.

Synonyms: conclusiveness, definiteness, permanence

"The judge's ruling carried a sense of finality that ended all appeals."

Foothold noun

a secure position from which progress can be made.

Synonyms: base, anchor, grip

"The new company struggled to gain a foothold in the competitive market."

Forging verb

creating (a relationship or new conditions) with a great deal of effort.

Synonyms: creating, establishing, building

"The two nations are forging a new alliance for economic cooperation."

Formalizing verb

giving something an official or legal form or status.

Synonyms: legitimizing, sanctioning, codifying

"The companies are formalizing their partnership with a signed agreement."

Fronted verb

acted as a front or leader for.

Synonyms: led, headed, spearheaded

"The charismatic speaker fronted the campaign for social reform."

Hegemony noun

leadership or dominance, especially by one state or social group over others.

Synonyms: dominance, supremacy, ascendancy

"The regional power sought to establish its hegemony over its smaller neighbors."

Impaired verb

weakened or damaged something, especially a faculty or function.

Synonyms: damaged, hindered, weakened

"Lack of sleep impaired her ability to focus during the exam."

Impracticality noun

the quality of being unsuitable for a particular purpose because of not being sensible or realistic.

Synonyms: unfeasibility, unworkability, unrealism

"The committee debated the impracticality of implementing such an expensive plan."

Incur verb

become subject to (something unwelcome or unpleasant) as a result of one's own behavior or actions.

Synonyms: suffer, sustain, experience

"Businesses that fail to adapt will incur significant losses."

Indispensability noun

the quality of being absolutely necessary; essentiality.

Synonyms: essentiality, necessity, cruciality

"The team recognized the indispensability of her unique technical skills."

Influence noun

the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.

Synonyms: sway, power, authority

"His grandfather's influence was a major factor in his career choice."

Intricate adjective

very complicated or detailed.

Synonyms: complex, complicated, convoluted

"The artist created an intricate pattern of lines and curves."

Manoeuvre noun

a movement or series of moves requiring skill and care.

Synonyms: tactic, ploy, stratagem

"The company's latest manoeuvre in the market surprised its competitors."

Mirrors verb

reflects or corresponds to (something).

Synonyms: reflects, resembles, echoes

"Her calm demeanor often mirrors her inner strength."

Oscillated verb

swung or moved back and forth in a regular rhythm; wavered between different opinions or actions.

Synonyms: vacillated, swayed, wavered

"The company's stock price oscillated throughout the trading day."

Perceived adjective

interpreted or regarded in a particular way.

Synonyms: regarded, considered, viewed

"The perceived threat from rival firms led to a merger."

Preserving verb

maintaining (something) in its original or existing state.

Synonyms: maintaining, conserving, safeguarding

"The charity is dedicated to preserving ancient historical sites."

Profound adjective

very great or intense; having or showing great knowledge or insight.

Synonyms: deep, intense, insightful

"The book had a profound impact on her worldview."

Progressively adverb

gradually and steadily in stages.

Synonyms: gradually, steadily, increasingly

"The patient's condition has been progressively improving."

Reluctance noun

unwillingness or disinclination to do something.

Synonyms: unwillingness, hesitation, disinclination

"Her reluctance to speak up cost her a promotion."

Repercussions noun

unintended consequences, typically unwelcome ones, of an event or action.

Synonyms: consequences, effects, outcomes

"The company's decision had far-reaching repercussions for its employees."

Resistance noun

the refusal to accept or comply with something; the attempt to prevent something by action or argument.

Synonyms: opposition, defiance, rebellion

"There was strong public resistance to the new tax proposals."

Resolutely adverb

in a determined and unwavering manner.

Synonyms: determinedly, firmly, steadfastly

"She resolutely pursued her dreams despite numerous setbacks."

Resounding adjective

unmistakable; emphatic; (of a sound) loud enough to reverberate.

Synonyms: emphatic, unequivocal, decisive

"The team achieved a resounding victory in the championship final."

Rooted adjective

established deeply and firmly.

Synonyms: engrained, embedded, fixed

"His strong ethical values are deeply rooted in his upbringing."

Seasoned adjective

experienced.

Synonyms: experienced, veteran, practiced

"The seasoned journalist had covered many major political events."

Strata noun

a level or class to which people are assigned according to their social status, education, or income.

Synonyms: levels, layers, classes

"The policy aimed to benefit people from all economic strata of society."

Substantial adjective

of considerable importance, size, or worth.

Synonyms: considerable, significant, sizable

"The company made a substantial profit last quarter."

Supplanting verb

superseding and replacing (someone or something).

Synonyms: replacing, superseding, ousting

"New technologies are rapidly supplanting older methods of communication."

Surpassing verb

exceeding; being greater than.

Synonyms: exceeding, outdoing, overshadowing

"Her performance in the competition was truly surpassing everyone's expectations."

Trajectory noun

the path followed by a projectile flying or an object moving under the action of given forces; a path or course of development.

Synonyms: path, course, route

"The company's sales trajectory indicates strong growth in the coming years."

Transformation noun

a dramatic change in form or appearance.

Synonyms: change, alteration, metamorphosis

"The city underwent a significant transformation over the last decade."

Phrasal Verbs

step aside

withdraw from a position; relinquish responsibility.

"The veteran leader decided to step aside, allowing a new generation to take charge."

file his nomination

officially submit a document or application for a candidacy or position.

"Candidates must file their nomination papers before the deadline to be eligible for the elections."

push aside

to remove someone from a position of importance or power, often gently or indirectly.

"The new management tried to push aside the old guard without causing a major conflict."

drawing a close to

bringing something to an end or conclusion.

"The setting sun was drawing a close to another beautiful day."

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