'Lived through those hard times in Bihar': From jungle raj to a new shift, personal stories echo as NDA leads

As the Bihar election results unfold on Friday, with the NDA leading its flag to the victory pole, an X post has sparked a wave of reflection on the turbulent past in the state, bringing into focus the personal struggles of many residents of the historic state.

Amid the growing leads for the NDA, which is heading towards a historic victory, user Akash Verma shared a deeply personal account of his childhood, shaped by the lawlessness and fear that once gripped Bihar. His story resonated with many who lived through the dark days of the state’s "jungle raj" under former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's rule.

Verma recounted how his father, a government official posted in a remote village near the Nepal border, was forced to send him and his sister to boarding school at a young age, following a series of kidnappings and murders that plagued the region. "I may have enough resources to spend on my kids' education but certainly not enough to pay ransom if any one of them gets kidnapped," Verma remembered his father's saying.

He went on to describe the heartbreaking conversation his parents had when they decided to send their children away for safety, highlighting the desperation and fear that many families in Bihar faced at the time.

 

"Today Papa is no more but he always regretted not having us around. I remember my parents' sad faces when we left home. We are doing well in our lives today but this has been etched to our memories. There are a lot of such stories of us Biharis who are migrants in different parts of the country or are settled abroad that may surprise others. We have lived through those hard times in Bihar and wish no one goes through that ever," Verma concluded the post.

This personal narrative comes in response to another post that shared similar sentiments about the impact of Bihar’s past political climate, recounting how many children, including himself, were forced to live away from their families due to the ever-present threat of kidnapping.

"Glad to see Laalu alive to see his family getting decimated at the polls," @GabbarSingh wrote, echoing the sentiment of countless Biharis who endured hardships during what they now refer to as the "jungle raj."

Bihar's Historic Poll Shift

As the election results came in, the NDA led by Nitish Kumar appeared poised for its strongest showing ever, with early counts putting the ruling coalition well past its ambitious "160 paar" target, now sitting at over 200 seats. The BJP seemed to be pulling ahead of its ally JD(U), after pushing for an equal seat-sharing agreement, leading to speculation over which party would dominate the alliance.

With postal ballots giving the NDA an early lead, it quickly became clear that the opposition Mahagathbandhan, led by Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD, was facing a major setback.

The RJD, which had been the largest party in the previous assembly, was on track to lose more than half of its seats. The Congress, once agains, proved to be a weak link in the alliance, failing to make a significant impact. Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party, which had been hyped as a game-changer in the polls, failed to gain any traction, with its candidates landing "farsh par" (on the floor).