The difference between Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar, the two towering personalities of Bihar politics, is that while the former is a product of circumstances, the latter has come thus far through shrewd political efforts. Lalu began his career as a popular leader of the Backwards, gathered fame at the national stage, before eventually ending up as a leader of a particular caste. Nitish, on the other hand, started out as a leader of a caste and became a Bihar icon with a national appeal