In spite of the radical transformation of Kalyan Bigha, Nitish Kumar’s single-storied brick house in the village stands as it was. It has not been repaired for years and its earthen floors speak of modest living.

“Babu comes twice in a year during the death anniversary of his father and wife. He is a busy man and is the rakhwala (caretaker) of Bihar,” says Sitaram Brahi, 65, caretaker of Nitish’s ancestral home.

According to him, Nitish was born in one of the three rooms in the house where he spent one year before his family moved to their home in Bakhtiyarpur, about 10km from Kalyan Bigha.

With its earthen floors, a well inside the house, two lanterns and a huge wooden trunk kept in one of the rooms, the house speaks of modest living of his family.

“Nitishbabu tells me that he would first rebuild Bihar whenever I asked him to build a better house. Whenever he comes to the house, he enters the room where he was born and opens the trunk to see his bed and then comes out and has a chat with me,” says Brahi.

Rubi Devi, a housewife who runs a stationery shop in the village, said the government had done a lot for women’s empowerment.

“Ab toh pati log hamari izzat karte hai (Now husbands respect their wives),” she said while other women sitting beside her chuckled.

“Bihar ki kismat kharab hogi agar unki sarkar nahin banegi toh (Bihar will be unfortunate if his government does not come back to power),” she adds.

Rubi Devi recalled how they had to earlier walk four kilometres to reach Harnaut for treatment as there was no hospital in the village.

The situation has changed now. An auto-rickshaw stand has come up near Nitish’s house and they reach the hospital within half-an-hour due to better roads.

At present, the village has a primary health care centre which has three beds and two doctors. “Now we do not need to go anywhere,” Rubi Devi said.

Shanti Devi, another housewife, said they were happy their children could now go to schools located a stone’s throw away from their houses.

“There is one middle school as well as a higher secondary school. All of us now want to send our children for education. They can also make our village famous like Nitishbabu,” she said.

After tasting the fruits of development, villagers now have great expectations from Nitish.

“He should set up some industries which will provide employment to local people,” said Uttam, who belongs to the Kurmi community.