'Grew up in 90s Bihar, never again': Memories of Lalu's jungle raj haunt Tejashwi

As the Mahagathbandhan stares at a crushing defeat in Bihar, memories of lawlessness during Lalu Prasad Yadav's rule between 1990 and 2005 are surfacing again. Tejashwi Yadav's setback may have surprised many, but not those who lived through what they describe as a terrifying 15-year period of "jungle raj".

In 2020, Tejashwi came within striking distance of forming the government as the Mahagathbandhan won 110 seats - just 12 short of the majority mark. This time, he may have expected voters to be fatigued with Nitish Kumar's two decades in power. But the results suggest that the memories of misgovernance under his parents - Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi were too deeply entrenched to overcome.

Rabri served as chief minister from 2000 to 2005, when Lalu was sent to jail in connection with fodder scam.  

"Lalu's defeat isn't politics. It's justice," Emversity founder and CEO Vivek Sinha wrote in a detailed post on X. "I grew up in Bihar in the 90s, right in the heart of Lalu's Jungle Raj. Saw it firsthand - it's not a myth and Lalu is no 'pichdon ka maseeha', as the intellectual media wants you to believe."

Sinha recalled the hardships his family endured. "My father, a govt servant, battled chronic renal failure. To withdraw his own GPF he had to pay a bribe. To get medical committee approval for expenses? Bribe. Postings? Pay up or rot in hellholes. A sadakchap party worker (gunda) could have come and insulted/assaulted civil servants anytime."

He said his mother lived in fear for him and his sister. "Kidnappings, lawlessness was rampant. Lalu's defeat isn't politics. It's justice! This shameless dynasty dreams of power again? They belong behind bars. For 100 years. Minimum. Bihar rose from the ashes through perseverance. Never again."

Dr Nishant Ranjan, a general and laparoscopic surgeon, also suggested that the legacy of the 1990–2005 era continues to shadow Tejashwi. "Those who are of 30+ age and lived in Bihar during 1990–2005 can never imagine the same rule coming back to Bihar," he wrote on X.

Ranjan said he faced daylight robbery in the year 2000 in Patna at 4 PM on a polling day. "4 robbers with guns and knives looted our house. 1 of them kept pointing a gun at me the whole time. The trauma that the incident gave to a class 7 kid can never be forgotten!" He added, "Although I don't support an ageing Nitish Kumar and biased Modi for Bihar. But I'm happy that RJD is getting what it deserved."

The RJD under Tejashwi has recorded one of its worst declines. The grand alliance's tally has crashed to 30 seats from 110 in 2020, while the RJD's individual count has dropped to 24 from 75.

The NDA, on the other hand, is headed for a landslide victory. The BJP is on course for 90-plus seats, Nitish's JDU is ahead on more than 80, and together the NDA is leading on over 200 seats. Chirag Paswan's LJP is also expected to win nearly 20 seats.