... Together the constituents had wrapped up the caste spectrum -Brahmins and Rajputs from the BJP and the BPP, Kurmis and Koeris from the Samata Party and a section of Dalits and Yadavs from the JD-U. Far and away the best any party/coalition could put together, the caste combination made for roughly half the electorate ...

In contrast, the Yadavs clung desperately to their Muslim-Yadav base ... What the Ranbir Sena is to the Dalits, the RSS is to the Muslims. In the general elections, a section of Muslims had voted for the NDA. Not this time. If anything, the community seemed deeply worried, especially by such recent developments as the Constitution review, the UP Religious Places Act and the enlarged role of the RSS at the Centre. Result: A renewed determination among Muslims to defeat the NDA.

So, the vote in Bihar was not so much for Laloo as for a certain idea he represented. For the underclass, the overwhelming need was to defeat the NDA -somehow, anyhow. Since Laloo's vote remained static, the 13 percent slide in the NDA vote obviously went to other parties.In other words, like in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar had voted tactically .. (Source: The Times of India, 29 March, 2000)