A MEASURE OF POPULARITY

Though voters are satisfied with the Nitish Kumar government, the levels are dropping

Voters are highly satisfied with the performance of the Narendra Modi government

Anti-incumbency is evident, with more people saying Nitish Kumar should not get a fresh term

(Note: All figures in per cent; VS: Vidhan Sabha; LS: Lok Sabha; Source: Lokniti-CSDS survey)

But the anti-incumbency vote is being split between opposition groups—mostly the MGB and the Independents—giving the NDA an advantage that Tejashwi Yadav has tapped into and converted into a poll plank that seems to be having some impact.

TEJASHWI’S PITCH

He may have little administrative experience, barring the 20 months as deputy chief minister, and led the RJD to its worst showing ever in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, when the party drew a blank in the state’s 40 seats. But the younger son of Lalu and Rabri seems to be gaining some traction in the recent past. His rallies are attracting more crowds than the socially distanced affairs that Nitish’s public meetings are. His message of employment is also finding increasing resonance with the state’s youth. It remains the most important electoral issue for 27 per cent of the respondents in the 18 to 25-year age group in the CSDS poll. (The 18 to 29-year age group makes up 23.6 per cent of the state’s electorate.) Accordingly, Tejashwi has been telling his young audience