Bihar Election Result Underscores the Need of United Fight Against Fascists Refuting all predictions, expectations and exit polls, the BJP-led NDA has made it in Bihar. The result exposes the extent of communal polarisation in the Indian society. BJP is very well aware that the people are not bothered about the basic issues like unemployment, price rise, etc. or development, and what they want is someone who can destroy the minorities, especially Muslims. The NDA was focussed on bigot agenda instead of talking about the basic needs or development of the people and the state. The communally-tinged speeches of Narendra Modi during the 3rd phase election campaign in the Muslim populated Seemanchal region has reaped the intended outcome. His words “These people don’t like to hear Jai Shri Ram. The opponents of Bharat Mata have got united and are seeking votes,” in one of his speeches were highly communal and specifically targetting Muslims. BJP maneuvered to defeat its own ally JD(U) and become the largest single party in the alliance, so that Nitish Kumar wouldn’t be a threat for the Chief Minister post. Result shows that they had succeeded in this shenanigan too. On the other side, the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan was playing the soft-Hindutwa card, disregarding the Muslim groups and parties. They ignored the fact that fighting and defeating BJP who has succeeded in saffronising the entire democratic and judicial system in the country is not an easy task that could be accomplished without mass support. While the NDA, as always, targetted Muslims, the Grand Alliance wrongly and silently conceded that making Muslims its allies would benefit BJP. They didn’t even endeavour to engage in discussions with any Muslim religious organisations or Muslim political parties, lest it would hurt the ‘majority sentiments.’ This avoidance of Muslim and Dalit parties have costed the Grand Alliance a lot. The enervated Congress who succeeded in getting 70 seats to contest, could manage to win only 19 seats. RJD, still maintaining its mass support became the single largest party garnering 75 seats, one ahead of BJP. Leader of INC Rahul Gandhi is blaming AIMIM for the shameful defeat of his century old party, that has lost its mass base as a result of its competition with BJP in Hindutwa issues. AIMIM has won 5 of 20 seats it contested which certainly is a better performance than the Indian National Congress. The so-called secular parties have not yet learned any lesson from the past and they are still living in the ivory tower thinking high of themselves and ignoring the major factor of the voting strength of Muslims. In the communal wind from both sides, Progressive Democratic Alliance failed to perform to expectation but was able to mark its presence in the election.The key lesson of Bihar poll result is that, Muslims have ceased to be the vote banks of the grandma parties. They have realised that they were being used just as vote banks without recognising their identity. The self-proclaimed secular parties cannot hanceforth expect to get only their votes without recognising their identity. The sooner the parties like Indian National Congress identify that their soft-Hindutwa line is not going to give them electoral victories anymore, the better. Defeating fascists is not a task that could be accomplished by any single party or person without the involvement of the minorities and Dalits.MK FAIZYNATIONAL PRESIDENTSDPI