Nitish appears to be turning anti-incumbency into leverage by absorbing and redirecting it. His incrementalist approach may again position him as the best bet in case of another fractured mandateNotwithstanding exit polls and television debates, a familiar script could unfold in Bihar. After intra-alliance bickering over seats and the sudden announcement of a deputy CM, prospects of an outright Mahagathbandhan (MGB) victory have diminished in the past fortnight. A many-cornered contest might deliver that most Bihari of outcomes: a hung assembly.

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