Sumitra Devi, 60, is putting the finishing touches on Mahishasur. She makes idols for a living, an art she learned from her husband who is out buying colours to paint the entire tableau. With less than a week to go for the Durga Puja celebrations, the couple has no time to lose, but still made time to travel from Patna to Samastipur to vote for Ram Vilas Paswan.
When Ram Vilas Paswan was Chief Minister, he gave us a licence to work here. He’s the one who’s looking out for the poor.
— Sumitra Devi, Artist
Paswan voters account for 6% of the 6.68 crore electorate in Bihar. Even if 2-3% vote for the Lok Janshakti Party, it could translate to a sizeable chunk of the Dalit vote for the BJP. Apart from the arithmetic, an alliance with Ram Vilas Paswan helps the BJP look good, considering he had quit the Vajpayee Cabinet in April 2002 in the wake of a censure motion on the Gujarat riots.