PATNA, March 2 -- Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar turned 75 on Monday. He is understandably aging, as the nature does with everyone, but he remains in command in the state, and politically indispensable too.

But for the first time, the Opposition is making his age and health a political issue with direct and relentless attacks on him. Yet, beyond rhetoric, there is a method in it -- everyone knows the worth of Nitish Kumar to tilt the balance and the impact of his absence.

Despite his flip-flop in the last seven years from the Grand Alliance (GA) to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Kumar has remained pivotal to the Bihar politics and has been able to play his cards deftly to be always one up.

JD-U leaders say there is a lot mo...