MUZAFFARPUR: The past caught up with the RJD and Tejashwi Yadav. Despite Tejashwi trying his best to relegate any reminder of his parents’ rule, the spectre of ‘jungle raj’ prevailed as a burning issue in Bihar polls.
The NDA repeatedly targeted Tejashwi with even PM Narendra Modi reminding the voters of the 15-year “dark” RJD rule and calling Tejashwi the “jungle raj ka yuvraj.”
Analysts feel that the crowds that Tejashwi attract did not seem to translate into votes.
“Tejaswi made an attempt to play the inclusive game that Mayawati did in 2007 when she said, ‘I belong to a Sarvasamaj Party and not Bahujan Samaj Party’. However, that needs a lot of political acumen and hard work. Tejaswi’s call seemed more of an ad-hoc planning. He would have likely succeeded had the depth of planning been better,” Votersmood Research founder Jai Mrug said.
Political analyst Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay echoed Mrug’s views.
“Tejaswi has definitely become an important factor for the future of Bihar politics. But he has not been able to completely erase the stigma of Lalu. On the youth being behind Tejashwi but it not really translating into votes, it is typical of Bihar’s politics. In 2015, Modi drew huge crowds but it did not translate into votes. There is a bit of a curiosity factor in the elections.” Inputs from Pushkar Banakar