'They have no chance of winning if free and fair polls are conducted.'
Magni Lal Mandal, a 76-year-old former MP, member of the Extremely Backward Class community and a committed socialist, was elected unopposed as the Bihar state president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
The Extremely Backward Class community is the largest social group in Bihar whose support influences electoral outcomes.
Mandal, known for his soft-spoken demeanour, simple lifestyle and advocacy for social justice, particularly for EBCs, switched allegiance from Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United to Lalu Prasad's RJD in this election year.
Will this move make a significant difference for the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, comprising the Congress, Left parties, and Mukesh Sahni's VIP, in attracting substantial EBC votes in the assembly elections scheduled for October-November 2025?
Mandal, who belongs to the Dhanuk EBC community, had left the RJD and joined the JD-U in 2004. After the JD-U, led by Nitish Kumar, came to power in Bihar in 2005, Mandal was elected to the Rajya Sabha and later elected to the Lok Sabha.
"This time, EBCs will not vote for Nitish Kumar," Magni Lal Mandal tells Rediff Senior Contributor M I Khan.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad has entrusted you with the state party to specifically attract the Extremely Backward Class, which largely consists of dozens of small, poverty-stricken backward castes, whose support is vital in electoral politics ahead of the Bihar assembly election later this year.
No, this is part of the normal political process to elect a state party president.
I am the first EBC to become state party president of any political party in Bihar.
This is something that has never happened before. Credit for it goes to Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav. Both have decided to hand over a big responsibility to me.
How do you view this development personally and its implications for the EBCs in state politics?
This is a major responsibility and a challenge for me in this election year.
With the Bihar assembly election months away, I will dedicate myself to galvanising party leaders and workers and mobilising the public.
For the EBCs, the assembly election is crucial; their support is vital for the Mahagathbandhan. A favorable outcome in the polls will create new opportunities for the EBCs in state politics.
EBCs are generally considered loyal to Nitish Kumar. It has been reported that EBCs overwhelmingly vote for his party and his alliance in every election.
It is true that EBCs have supported and voted for Nitish Kumar's party in elections over the last 20 years. Undoubtedly, EBC support has been a major strength for Nitish Kumar, which has helped him continue as chief minister.
However, it's important to remember that not all EBCs have supported and voted for him. If they had, the JD-U's vote share would not consistently be between 15% and 24% in elections; it would be more than 40%.
This is especially true since his own caste, Kurmi (an OBC caste), has overwhelmingly supported him for years, along with a significant portion of Dalits, who constitute nearly 19% of the state's population.
EBCs make up 36.1% of Bihar's total population as per the latest caste survey report. Their votes are divided.
Nitish Kumar leveraged EBC support and votes but ultimately betrayed them. He has not promoted leadership within the EBCs and has actively suppressed emerging EBC leadership.
On the other hand, Lalu Prasad has consistently promoted leadership among EBCs. Lalu Prasad has appointed an EBC leader as state party president. This marks the first time any political party in Bihar has appointed an EBC leader to such a position.
This time EBCs will abandon Nitish Kumar. EBCs now understand that they have not been given their proper share and place and have been further marginalised.
The dominant sentiment among EBCs is that they will not vote for Nitish Kumar's JD-U.
But the fact remains that Nitish Kumar, as chief minister, launched several welfare schemes for EBCs that directly benefited them, paving the way for their loyalty towards him.
Nitish Kumar did initiate some measures such as increasing the EBC quota in government jobs and providing reservations in panchayat bodies. In return, he received support for these initiatives. However, EBCs are now neglected and ignored. Nitish Kumar used them and left them to fend for themselves.
Ahead of the polls in Bihar, what is your assessment of the ground reality given Nitish Kumar's nearly 20 years as chief minister?
Bihar is on the verge of changing its chief minister and government. Bihar desires a new and youthful leader.
The wind of change is blowing, it is visible everywhere and is reflected in the mood of the common people, as revealed by one pre-poll survey after another.
There is growing discontent among the people against the NDA government led by Nitish Kumar.
People are fed up with rampant corruption, increasing crime rates, and a bureaucracy that seems to control everything.
There is a widespread public outcry for a change in government.
People will not vote for the return of the NDA government.
There is a common complaint in villages and towns alike that no FIR can be registered or land mutation processed without paying a bribe.
Crimes are on the rise, with local Hindi dailies and electronic media reporting murders, rapes, looting, and robberies daily.
Police are being attacked and assaulted. Is this not 'jungle raj'?
The ruling BJP, Nitish Kumar's main ally, states that the NDA will return to power in Bihar because people fear a return to the infamous 'jungle raj' associated with the RJD.
If the NDA manipulates elections and engages in booth capturing, they might return to power. Otherwise, they will be defeated.
They have no chance of winning if free and fair polls are conducted.
BJP leaders have been spreading lies about 'jungle raj' since the late 1990s.
The truth is that the BJP has been maligning the poor and backward communities who stand for social justice by leveling these 'jungle raj' allegations.
For EBCs and Dalits, who represent the forces of social justice, there is no justice; they are forced to pay hefty bribes for any work at local police stations or block development offices.
Good governance is merely a facade; the ground reality is starkly different. No one cares to listen to the genuine complaints and grievances of poor Dalits and EBCs at police stations or block offices.
It was reported that you were close to Nitish Kumar and that both of you follow the political stream of socialist icon Ram Manohar Lohia.
This is not true. Nitish Kumar has opposed Karpoori Thakur's reservation policy, which was widely reported in local Hindi dailies.
Nitish's political ideology has always been distinct from ours.
I am a product of the socialist movement and a follower of Ram Manohar Lohia.
I have been with Lalu Prasad for years; he is a friend first, then a leader. My association with Lalu is a long-standing one.
I never had a comfortable relationship with Nitish. I was never an associate of Nitish.
It is true that I left the RJD for some specific reasons and joined the JD-U. But my real home is the RJD, and I have finally returned.
The Congress appears reluctant to name Tejashwi Yadav as the Mahagathbandan's chief ministerial candidate for the Bihar polls.
Tejashwi Yadav is young and energetic. He has developed a deep understanding of the complex social realities in the state over the last ten years. He is now a popular leader, as his popularity graph revealed by pre-poll surveys confirms.
Tejashwi Yadav is the undisputed leader of the Mahagathbandhan and its chief ministerial face. He will be the next chief minister. This was decided unanimously by all six parties of the Mahagathbandhan.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
© 2025