Bihar boasts of one of the most fascinating political histories in India. As the state heads to Assembly polls later this month, The Indian Express brings a series of articles that tell the history of Bihar politics through the tenure of its 23 chief ministers. This article tells the story of Bhola Paswan Shastri, Bihar’s eighth CM.

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Between 1967 and 1969, with no party enjoying an outright majority in the Assembly, Bihar witnessed intense political instability, with parties across the board manoeuvring to form or topple governments. One key tactic employed was to pit candidates from one group — often Other Backward Classes (OBC) or Scheduled Caste (SC) — against another.

On March 18, 1968, the government of B P Mandal, which had the backing of the Congress, fell after losing a no-co

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