In some parts of Bihar, it was easy for me to identify the new web of intermediaries who have emerged. Many of them had become leaders and elected members or chiefs of village councils. The locals came up with many nicknames for them – Bolero mukhiya, Innova sarpanch – after the names of the SUVs they purchased once they had ascended to their post. The secret of their fortune is no mystery. As the chiefs of local bodies, they have an important role in dispersing a significant amount of cash and contracts to the people.
