Cash Speaks Louder Than Caste in India’s Poorest State
Did the women of Bihar settle for a bad bargain in this election?
Photographer: Niharika Kulkarni/AFP/Getty Images
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a key ally have chalked up a landslide poll victory in Bihar, India’s poorest state. Their secret sauce? Cash. At the last minute, the ruling alliance stuffed money into bank accounts of millions of women under the guise of an employment program. That was enough for it to return to power, winning 202 out of the state’s 243 assembly seats.
Traditionally, caste — an ancient, hierarchical social identity — has been an important determinant of electoral success in India. In Bihar’s largely agrarian society, it’s often the only factor. The third-largest state by population is home to an estimated 127 million people. That’s akin to Mexico, but with a per-capita income roughly half of sub-Saharan Africa.