Jagannath son leaves it to voters to decide on dynasty politics

Jhanjharpur: He is the scion of the famed LN Mishra family of Bihar. His father Jagannath Mishra is a former chief minister of the state. Nitish Mishra, former JD(U) minister and sitting MLA from Jhanjharpur in Madhubani district is contesting on a BJP ticket this time. He has preferred to represent the people of his father’s constituency since 2005 (having contested unsuccessfully in 2000), he has never had a liking for the grand old party, the Congress.
“When I started my political career, I was miles away from the Congress. The reason why I distanced myself from the party and even chief minister Nitish Kumar was because of their association with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), he reasoned as villagers of Phatki surrounded him with cheers and grievances.
Clad in a spotless white kurta-pyjama with a cotton stole around his neck, the 42-year-old postgraduate from the University of Hull speaks chaste Maithili, with his people assuring them that all incomplete works will be done in the next five years, and turns to TOI to speak in fluent English.
‘Pariwaarwad’ (synonymous with the Congress), he says, however, is not wrong. “Woh to chalta hai,” he says, adding he was seeking election for the fifth time now. The best part of democracy was that MPs and MLAs have to sit for an examination every five years. “Let the people decide,” he says, sipping tea at a roadside stall at the village.
Nitish, who often used to accompany his father to the CBI court in Ranchi for hearings of the fodder scam case, asserts that though his father is also an accused in the fodder scam, he should not be equated with Lalu. “It’s true he has been convicted by a court of law, appeal against which is pending, but their cases are different. He was never in a position to take any action like Lalu Prasad and nature of charges were different. It’s destiny that he was convicted,” said Nitish thoughtfully.
Phatki Kutti with 3,000 odd voters is dominated by the Kushwaha community. “We have gained nothing from electing Nitish; this village is bereft of power and other infrastructure facilities. But voting for him is the constraint of our community,’’ said Hari Kushwaha, who was immediately silenced by Nitish’s men.
In answer to the allegations, Nitish says he has already prepared a vision document for his constituency, which he would implement once elected. “We have also conducted a survey in this flood-ravaged and waterlogged land by the Pusa University for alternate farming,” he said.
But how would he address the issue of livelihood in the constituency where migration is a necessity to keep the hearth burning.
“I have opened a skill development centre here and also helped set up a 3,000-strong women’s self-help groups which are very active in the area. Also, at least 700 girls are being provided computer training,” he said.
But will these things matter in a situation where caste plays a major role in elections? “I’m sure people will rise above caste issues this time and vote for the work that I have done in all these years,” said an optimistic Nitsh, rising to seek votes in yet another village.