WATERLOO, Ontario — Writing here on March 13, 2005 ("The deep end of Indian state democracy"), I noted descriptions of Bihar's first city Patna as the capital of hell on earth, its Hobbesian quality of life with large-scale kidnappings for ransom as the only growth industry, the destruction of infrastructure and collapse of law and order, and caste identity as the most potent basis for political mobilization under 15 years of misrule by the charismatic but destructive Lalu Yadav.
Inconclusive state elections then led to political instability until Yadav was defeated in fresh elections and a new state government took office under Nitish Kumar as chief minister.
Bihar has just held a new state election that turned into a referendum on Kumar's five-year tenure. Yadav tried to re-create his winning caste-based political coalition with a cross-appeal to Muslims who make up one-fifth of the state's 83 million population. His efforts were repudiated and his party and political allies decimated, winning only 29 of the 243 legislative seats. Kumar's coalition increased its tally from 143 to 207.