By Ajay Kumar
Patna, Jan 1 (IANS): Looking at the progress made by three 'Young Turks' from Bihar - Tejashwi Yadav, Chirag Paswan and Ishan Kishan - in 2022, it seems that the 2023 will be a promising one for them.
They have consolidated their position in their respective fields and done well for themselves and for the teams they are associated with in the last 12 months.
Tejashwi Yadav, the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, was leader of opposition for the first seven months in 2022. Then his fortune turned around and he and his party came into the power - thanks to Nitish Kumar's 'paltimar' politics (Nitish parted ways with the BJP-led NDA for the second time in eight years).
Tejashwi Yadav, while he was the leader of opposition, managed to transform his party's image from a caste-based (Muslim-Yadav) party to an inclusive one. He ensured equal participation of upper castes like Rajput, Bhumihar and Brahmin in the party. He also gave seats to people from the trader community in the party.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is basically a regional party which has a good stronghold in Bihar. Its supreme leader Lalu Prasad Yadav has a countrywide acceptance as a national leader and his unique style also makes him special.
His dynastical successor Tejashwi Yadav consolidated his position in the party and gave a tough fight to the NDA in the 2020 Assembly election, making RJD the single largest party in the state.
In a bid to maintain discipline in the party, he has taken some strong steps to get away from 'Jungle Raj' tag after coming to the power in the state. He started 'Janata Darbar' in the party office in Patna where two ministers under the RJD quota are regularly addressing the issues of common people.
RJD contested four bypolls in Bochahan, Mokama, Gopalganj and Kurhani under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav in 2022 and managed to win in two seats.
Tejashwi Yadav as a leader of opposition in Bihar assembly had went to London for an event called 'Ideas for India' conference and attracted the attention of people outside the country with impressive ideas and speech.
Chirag Paswan, the president of Lok Janshakti Party Ram Vilas (LJPR) and Jamui MP also consolidated his position after the split in Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) in September 2021 when his uncle Pasupati Kumar Paras took away five MPs and formed new party called Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP).
The start of 2022 was not impressive as people of Bihar had an impression that he failed to save the party founded by his father Ram Vilas Paswan. Chirag Paswan restarted his political work with an intention to reach the people standing in the last line of the society. His efforts work well for him.
During the campaign in Mokama, Gopalganj and Kurhani by-poll, he batted for BJP candidates and turned out to be a crowd puller leader. The BJP did well in these three bypolls and managed to win Gopalganj and Kurhani seats while staying in opposition.
Chirag Paswan's contribution was appreciated by the central leadership of the BJP and there is a buzz in the political circles that he may get a ministry portfolio in the Centre.
The political pundits started considering him a stronger leader than his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras. Chirag Paswan is now being considered as a more deserving candidate for holding the dynastical baton of Late Ram Vilas Paswan.
Indian cricketer Ishan Kishan is another young turk of Bihar who established himself as a global personality.
The young left-handed batsman from Patna is in and out in the India cricket team until he made a double ton in an One Day International (ODI) match against Bangladesh on December 10 and reached in a elite club of Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Sehwag, and Rohit Sharma to hit a double century in ODIs. Ishan made 210 runs in just 131 balls.
He reached 200 runs in just 126 balls hitting 23 fours and nine sixes and broke the record of West Indian great Chris Gayle who scored 200 runs in 2015 ICC World Cup facing 138 balls against Zimbabwe.