A day before the declaration of the Assembly election results , it was all quiet at the offices of the political parties on Beerchand Patel Marg in Patna.
Leaders remained mostly confined to their homes on Monday and refused to comment on the election results. The man of the moment, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and UPA’s chief ministerial face Tejashwi Yadav, celebrated his 31st birthday, a low-key affair at the residence of his mother Rabri Devi.
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At the party headquarters of the ruling Janata Dal-United, a few office bearers sat discussing the exit polls that have predicted a dismal picture for the party. “Why should we believe these exit polls?… You must remember the 2015 exit poll that went completely wrong…we’re coming to power again, our leader Nitish Kumar is going to be the CM for the fourth consecutive term,” said one of them requesting anonymity. “I’m not authorised to speak to the media, you know,” he added by way of explanation.
Outside, at the gate, are huge billboards and posters proclaiming “Nitish sabke hain [Nitish Kumar is of everyone].” But missing was the row of vehicles usually seen parked outside.
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The exit polls have projected a sub-par performance by Nitish Kumar-led JD(U), amid a strong anti-incumbency wave across the State.
A few yards away, at the Opposition RJD office, the usual hustle and bustle were missing. A small group of office-bearers was seen sporting broad smiles.
“After a long time, smile has returned to the party office,” said party leader and spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari. “And why not? Haven’t you seen the exit poll projections? But we knew even before, that people of Bihar have voted for a change this time, for a young leader like Tejashwi Yadav. Now it’s matter of a few hours and we will all know what is in fact a foregone conclusion,” he said.
Meanwhile, birthday wishes poured in on the social media for Tejashwi Yadav, widely seen as the next Chief Minister of Bihar. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, elder siblings Misa Bharti and Tej Pratap Yadav were among those who wished Mr. Yadav a “bright future.”
Earlier, on November 9, RJD had tweeted advising party workers not to resort to “celebratory firing or uncivil behavior” against their rivals on results day. “Whatever the election results are on November 10, it has to be accepted with absolute restraint, simplicity and courtesy,” said the tweet.
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At the BJP and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party offices too, there were very few people moving about. Big hoardings and billboards displaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image have been occupying the entire space on walls outside the BJP office. The Lok Janshakti Party office, near the Patna airport, wore a deserted look. There was only one office-bearer in attendance and a lone SUV parked outside. “Come tomorrow and you’ll see the rush here,” he said before quickly retreating inside. LJP led by party chief Chirag Paswan has been slamming Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and had put up candidates against the JD(U) to dethrone Mr. Kumar.
Topic of discussion
Exit polls were the hot topic of discussion among the people in Patna too. “Whatever be the result tomorrow, whether Tejashwi Yadav or someone from the BJP becomes the Chief Minister, one thing is clear — that Nitish Kumar’s return for a fourth term seems well-nigh impossible,” Rajesh Kumar, an engineer-cum-businessman of Kankerbagh area of Patna told The Hindu, sipping tea at a roadside stall near Gayatri mandir (temple).
His friends nodded in agreement. “Change is always good for democracy,” they said.
