Fly on the wall Harish Gupta  Amit Shah’s Bihar Mission: One State, One Party, One CM Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a relentless mission — to paint Bihar completely saffron. For Shah, this is not just another state election; it’s a personal redemption arc and a crucial step in his long-cherished dream of keeping the BJP in power “from panchayat to Parliament” for decades. Shah has not forgotten the sting of 2015, when the formidable duo of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar united to block the BJP’s rise. While Nitish Kumar remains nominally in alliance with the BJP, Shah’s long game is clear: Bihar must one day have a BJP Chief Minister. Shah is personally micro-managing every move in the polls — from booth committees to campaign strategy — and leading from the front on the ground. This time, the BJP and JD(U) are contesting 101 seats each — but beneath the surface of this numerical parity lies a political asymmetry. In the 2020 elections, the BJP won 74 seats to JD(U)’s 43, while the RJD edged out both with 75 seats, becoming the single largest party. In 2025, Shah’s strategy is simple yet audacious: turn the BJP into Bihar’s dominant force.With the entire Hindi heartland — except Punjab and Himachal — already under BJP belt, Bihar is the only missing piece in Shah’s grand political puzzle. If the BJP becomes a single-largest party, a new script may be written. The BJP has mastered the art of making governments in states. It won’t just be another victory — it will be Amit Shah’s revenge, repackaged as resurgence. Finally; Saffron shake up After Bihar Polls  A big churn is ahead in the BJP after Bihar votes. A new party president could take charge soon — and Amit Shah has dropped the clearest hint yet. He has said the BJP may elect a new national president soon after the Bihar elections. “I don’t decide it — the party does, but after the Bihar polls, this can be done,” he said. One of the reasons for retaining J P Nadda is his old association with Bihar as a student. Insiders say the BJP is working overtime to install its own Chief Minister in the state — and the outcome will shape the party’s national strategy. Nadda has been one of the longest for any BJP president — first appointed working president in June 2019 and taking full charge in January 2020, Nadda has already completed two terms and received extensions. It is said that the selection of next chief has to be with extreme care keeping in mind that he will continue in office until the 2029 Lok Sabha polls and beyond. Party insiders also hint that post-Bihar, there could be a wider shake-up — in the cabinet, states, gubernatorial changes and the organization itself. One of the reasons for delay in holding the Winter session of Parliament is attributed to these impending changes. The BJP insiders say that inauspicious period begins from December 15 and changes, if any, had to be made before the onset of Winter session only. Hence, this delay.  These changes will be far-reaching as 12 states will go to polls in 2026 & 2027.  Rahul’s Claims Fall Flat as No ground work by his team Rahul Gandhi’s latest Hydrogen Bomb, where he accused the Election Commission of massive irregularities in the voter rolls, has backfired spectacularly. Gandhi had made three dramatic claims: that 66 voters were listed at one address; that a Brazilian model’s photograph was used against 22 voter names; and that one woman’s image appeared on 200 voter IDs. The first charge — 66 voters at one house in Godarana village, Bahadurgarh — turned out to involve a sprawling family compound of nearly an acre, where multiple generations live together. Every single voter was genuine. The discovery has left Congress red-faced as a basic ground check by workers was not done. Second claim: the “Brazilian model” case linked to Rai village near Sonipat revealed that all the women whose names supposedly carried the model’s image — Sheetal, Manjeet, and Darshana — were alive, local, and very much real. Darshana even produced her voter ID card with her photo.  Third allegation: A woman’s photo used across 200 names, involved Charanjeet from Ambala. She too was found easily and said she had voted only once. Locals confirmed that for over a decade, her picture has mistakenly appeared beside many names in the electoral list despite repeated complaints to officials. Rahul tried to tone down his remarks later. But Congress insiders say Rahul has his own in-house team dedicated to embarrassing him. Tailpiece: Why Jay Shah’s smiling: With the women’s cricket team lifting the ODI World Cup, the two men are also receiving widespread appreciation. One is the team’s coach Amol Muzumdar; the other is ICC President Jay Shah — who is also the BCCI chief. The praise is pouring in for Jay Shah as he turnaround women’s cricket, focused aggressively on women’s cricket, strengthening coaching & training infrastructure and increasing players payments and world class facilities. The World Cup win has become Jay Shah's defining moment in cricket administration. (Kind attention: The Rudy item is optional if short of space)  Rudy’s Quiet Comeback Once sidelined, BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy is making a strong comeback in Bihar’s political theater. At a rally in Saran, Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s warm reference to Rudy as “my friend” signaled the MP’s quiet return to the party’s inner circle. The seven-term parliamentarian had been on the fringes since losing his ministerial berth, but a key victory turned his fortunes around when he defeated Sanjeev Balyan in the Constitution Club of India polls. The contest, marked by Rajput–Jat undertones, gave Rudy fresh political energy. He led “Jai Sanga” yatras across Bihar, invoking the Rajput hero Rana Sanga to consolidate his community’s support. With Shah’s backing and a renewed Rajput base, Rudy’s steady climb shows that in politics, patience and timing often matter more than power.