PATNA: When the dust settles after Bihar’s high-voltage election, a singular truth will remain etched on the political map of the state: Nitish Kumar, the war veteran, still reigns supreme. At 74, the Janata Dal (United) chief is poised to take oath as chief minister for an unprecedented tenth time, steering the National Democratic Alliance to a gargantuan victory.

Few leaders in modern India embody political survival like Nitish. Once taunted for shifting alliances at whim, Kumar has defied labels and fatigue alike, remaking himself to stay in tune with the state’s political nous.

His Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana was a masterstroke, transferring Rs 10,000 each to 1.4 crore women before the polls. The strategy clicked—women voters outnumbered men by 8.8%, sealing the NDA’s fate across even the Muslim-majority Seemanchal belt.

Nitish’s campaign, built on welfare and welfare again, left little room for anti-incumbency. Pensions up, electricity free up to 125 units, and the promise of one crore new jobs—all wrapped in the familiar pledges of development and dignity. “People have bharosa (faith) in Modi and Nitish,” said BJP’s Vinod Tawade.

Outside the JD(U) office, one banner makes the mood unmistakable: “Tiger abhi zinda hai” (the tiger lives on.)