A less perfect Union

In recent days, we have been witness to two extraordinary acts of sub-national assertion by powerful regional leaders. In the first, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressed a rally - not in the city of Patna, which he rules and has transformed, but in the beating heart of the Union of India, the Ramlila grounds in Delhi - demanding that his state receive a larger share of central funds and investment. The political formation that promises Bihar "special category status" - a status that eases access to central grants and ups the Centre's investment in a state - will, he implied, receive his support once the next general elections are done.

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