India, Oct. 12 -- Two political parties -- the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal (U) -- led by two unpredictable leaders Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar swept the Bihar assembly polls in 2015. A key factor in the victory was their public display of bonhomie, which helped bring the two backward castes, Yadavs and Kurmis, together. The rank and file, despite resentment, fell in line.

Lalu and Nitish had addressed several public rallies togther, playing their new-found bonhomie to the gallery. They united the socially and politically incompatible core social bases of the two parties and displayed the strength of Nitish Kumar's experience and Tejashwi Yadav's energy. With Congress also in, they managed to prevent a split of the anti-NDA ...