1995 Bihar Polls: How 'Vikas Nahi Samman' Won Lalu Yadav Chief Ministership

Bihar in the early 1990s was a land of stark social realities. Upper-caste dominance long kept the majority of backward castes, Dalits, and Muslims politically and socially marginalised. Agricultural tenants and bonded labourers were often denied the right to vote or coerced into following the diktats of landlords. Education, jobs, and civic participation were privileges of a tiny elite; the vast majority of Bihar's population remained voiceless.

The Rise Of Lalu Prasad Yadav

Enter Lalu Prasad Yadav, a leader from humble origins, promising to break the chains of caste oppression. Riding a wave of anti-Congress sentiment in 1990, Lalu formed a minority Janata Dal government, with Muslims, Yadavs, and Dalits soon forming his core base.

His first term as Chief Minister focused on social empowerment. He increased OBC quotas in state administration to 27 per cent, and reserved 50 per cent of university senate and syndicate seats for OBCs through the Patna and Bihar University Amendment Bill of 1993. He implemented the Panchayati Raj Bill, reserving Panchayats with backward caste majorities exclusively for them. For the first time, millions of previously marginalised citizens could vote freely and contest elections.

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'Vikaas Nahi, Sammaan Chahiye'

By the time he approached the end of his first term in power, Lalu had become the symbol of hope for backward castes. 

Standing before thousands at an election rally seeking a second term as Chief Minister, Lalu declared, "I cannot take you to heaven, but I will make sure your voice is heard."

His words were amplified by the slogan, "Lalu Yadav fakir hai, gareebon ki taqdeer hai. Humein vikas nahi, sammaan chahiye." (Lalu is a fakir, the destiny of the poor. We want dignity, not development.)

For millions who had merely existed on the margins until now, Lalu looked like the man who would bring them to the mainstream.

Historic Victory

The result was historic. Janata Dal won 167 of 324 seats in the 1995 Bihar polls, securing an absolute majority. The backward castes and Dalits finally felt empowered.

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'Yadavisation'

Lalu's consolidation of power also drew criticism. At least 63 of Janata Dal's 167 MLAs were Yadavs, and 21 of 55 district presidents were from the same caste, leading to accusations of "Yadavisation" of politics.

KN Govindacharya, then BJP General Secretary, claimed that Lalu had criminalised the party.

By 1996-97, nearly half of Patna's police stations were under Yadav officers, and close associates and relatives were accused of misusing their positions. A massive party rally in 1997 drew allegations of extortion from local businessmen.

Lalu's power also attracted a growing circle of flatterers. Brahmdev Anand Paswan, author of the "Lalu Chalisa," was rewarded with a Rajya Sabha seat, while Anwar Ahmed, nicknamed "Lalu's Kebab Minister," became a trusted associate and Legislative Council member.

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The Fall

The fodder scam surfaced in 1996, with Lalu at the centre of it. Within a year, he resigned as Chief Minister. He quit the Janata Dal and formed the Rashtriya Janata Dal in 1997, but his political aura began to fade. 

In the 2000 elections, RJD secured only 124 seats. By 2005, his Rashtriya Janata Dal lost power in the state.

Yet, Lalu's social impact was transformative. Millions of backward caste and Dalit youth who had known nothing about political representation were finally there, part of it all. When Nitish Kumar took office in 2005, Bihar had been socially transformed, even if economically fragile.

Nitish Kumar's focus on governance, law and order, and infrastructure built upon the social emancipation Lalu Yadav had initiated.