Dole role: Nitish Kumar is banking heavily on freebies to offset the 20

In 2009, Bihar witnessed the worst floods in its history as the Kosi barrage in Kushaha breached, affecting almost nine districts and a population of around 50 lakh. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched a massive relief effort — setting up mega camps giving flood victims food, clothes, blankets, medicines and even cattle feed for their cows, One quintal of rice was given to each victim’s family — it earned him the sobriquet of ‘Quintal Wala Baba’. A year later, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept the polls in all nine districts, leaving Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) stunned. The baseline is that when Nitish Kumar gives doles, he knows how to use it to his political advantage. Immediately after assuming power, Nitish gave free cycles to school-going girls, earning