EBC voters hold the key to Bihar polls, Nitish remains their preferred choice

For Kaushalendra Chouhan, a daily wage labourer from Makhdumpur, work is erratic, often requiring him to travel long distances. Yet he claims that travel has become easier and far safer under the present government. “There is no fear of being robbed while travelling at night,” he says.

Some 250 km at the Keoti Assembly constituency, Ram Nath Thakur says life has not materially changed for him. He works in Kolkata and has returned home for the festivals and elections. He is a barber by profession and caste. “One can’t make a living here. There are hardly any customers here,” he says.

Mr. Chouhan and Mr. Thakur are both from the Extremely Backward Class (EBC), a diverse group of castes comprising 36% of the State’s population, as per the caste count in Bihar. This group is entirely Bihar C