New Delhi: As Bihar’s longest-serving chief minister, Nitish Kumar, hangs up his boots, it marks the end of an era in the state’s politics—one that began with a strong push for development and a challenge to the “jungle raj” narrative, but gradually lost its sheen amid frequent shifts in political alliances with the aim of remaining at the centre of power.
On Tuesday, Nitish tendered his resignation at Lok Bhavan in Patna after chairing his last Cabinet meeting as the CM.
Nitish’s tenure concluded with Bihar recording a robust economic growth rate of 13.1 percent in 2025–26, surpassing the national average of 9.8 percent. However, this achievement was largely overshadowed by persistent criticism of his “opportunistic politics” owing to constant shift in allegiances.
Nitish was sworn in as Bihar CM a record 10 times, giving rise to the phrases, like “Nitish Sabke Hain” and “Paltu Ram”. He made five switches in the last 11 years, while continuing to lead all the coalitions he was a part of to victory.
The state also witnessed sustained double-digit growth, driven by infrastructure development and welfare expansion, emerging from a low base in the early 2000s during the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Speaking to ThePrint, K.C. Tyagi, a long-time aide of Nitish, described him as a beacon of hope who transformed Bihar’s trajectory, while also acknowledging the state’s lack of industrialisation. “Bihar was in complete disarray—there was anarchy, no development; There was no law and order, no roads, no electricity, and no clear roadmap for development. Badhaal tha Bihar (Bihar was in a bad state),” said the former JD(U) leader.
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The possibility of change
Nitish’s contemporaries laud his regime, saying that he won the ideological war. “He instilled a sense of belief among people—even in a hopeless state that was in shambles, where jobs seemed impossible to find. That was his biggest victory: making people believe that change was possible,” said Devesh Kumar, a senior Bihar BJP leader.
Nitish was often described as a “social stalwart” for advocating for backward castes, particularly by mobilising EBCs and elevating their role in Bihar’s politics. Following the 2023 caste survey, he increased reservations from 50 to 65 percent for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Castes, and Economically Backward Castes, though the move was later struck down by the Patna High Court.
Dr Chandrachur Singh, an associate professor at Delhi University who has written extensively on Bihar, explained how Nitish transformed into a mass leader. “He took charge when Bihar was at a low point, with politics heavily driven by caste divisions. He tried to tone down that aggressive style and focused on bringing backward castes into the mainstream, which helped him gain wider acceptance among people,” Singh told ThePrint.
Nitish then struck while the iron was hot, capitalising on strong public sentiment and his wave of popularity to ban alcohol in 2016, soon after promising it in 2015—particularly drawing support from women. The move was framed as one of the most defining social reform measures rather than a mere policy decision, as it sought to transform Bihar by addressing deep-rooted issues of alcohol abuse.
However, the policy also led to several challenges, including the rise of a black market and increased liquor smuggling, hooch-related tragedies and a significant loss of state revenue. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav took to X, claiming that over 1,300 people have died due to spurious liquor since 2016, adding that the actual figure could be higher and that several victims have also lost their eyesight.
Women first
However, Nitish comfortably positioned himself as a supporter of women, launching key schemes that increased political participation in women and helped in building a strong female voter base.
He introduced 50 percent reservation for women in panchayats, expanded self-help groups under the Jeevika scheme to improve financial access, and launched the 2006 cycle scheme for school-going girls to reduce dropouts and improve access to education, leading to higher enrolment and attendance.
Nitish also improved law and order through stricter policing and speedy trials while expanding infrastructure by upgrading roads, bridges, and rural electrification across the state.
However, Bihar continues to lag on key human development indicators. It recorded one of the lowest scores in the country at 0.609 in 2022, on the Human Development Index, which measures health, education, and income levels. The education sector is also under strain, with enrolment declining by over 23 percent and secondary school dropout rates at around 19.5 percent.
Higher education participation remains low, with a Gross Enrolment Ratio of just 25.5 percent, placing Bihar among the bottom-performing states and Union Territories. At the same time, migration remains a major concern—an estimated 7.5 million people leave the state in search of work.
A former IAS officer who grew up under the Lalu Prasad Yadav regime, and later worked during Nitish’s tenure described the state of Bihar as “decaying”, and revolving from “bad to worse” while speaking to ThePrint on condition of anonymity.
“Crime against women is still a bleak reality, hardly any students stay back in Bihar after school, and there aren’t enough people working for Bihar within the state. Nothing has really changed, Jungle has simply turned into a bureaucratic regime marked by corruption and bribes at every level. Even after 20 years, key industries like sugar mills haven’t been revived, institutions like Patna University have declined, and with the school system deteriorating, everything else seems to follow.” she said.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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