While the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance's claim that a vote for the Mahagathbandhan will usher in "Jungle Raj Part II" is finding a ready audience in urban Bihar, the same is actually helping the core vote bank of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad to rally behind him. In the Yadav dominated villages of Diara area of Patna, the Yadavs are standing united and have decided to aggressively vote for Mahagathbandhan candidates while claiming that phrases like "Jungle Raj" are being used to discredit their community.
Nakta Diara is one such Yadav dominated village which is across the Ganga from Patna. It comes under Digha Assembly constituency and its residents welcome the coming together of Lalu and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Despite no electricity connectivity, no bridge across the Ganga which forces them to rely of rickety boats, its residents say they will vote for "teer" (Janata Dal United symbol).
JDU spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad is contesting from Digha and his main rival is BJP's Sanjiv Chaurasia. JDU had won the seat in 2010 elections when its nominee Punam Devi defeated Lok Janshakti Party's Satya Nand Sharma by a margin of over 60000 votes.
Five years back the JDU and BJP were in alliance while LJP was in partnership with Lalu's RJD. Now the positions have changed and BJP and LJP are together while JDU has formed the Mahagathbandhan with RJD and Congress. Punam Devi jumped the JDU ship and joined the BJP hoping to contest once again but was denied the ticket.
Yet for Nakta Diara residents all that matters is that Nitish should become the chief minister once again as they credit him for whatever little development their area has seen in the last 10 years. They also want Lalu to have some say in power as he is a leader "who talks about the poor and weaker sections".
It takes about five minutes to cross the Ganga on a motor powered boat and then it is about one and a half kilometer walk to reach the village which has about 7000 votes. Its residents are mostly engaged in agriculture and rears cows to sell milk. Half naked children play in the fields where their fathers and elder siblings are seen working while womenfolk are gathered around the village well discussing the day to day routine.
A farmer Akhilesh Kumar, who was on his way to catch a boat for Patna, says Nitish Kumar's scheme of cycle for girls and boys in high school, and his promise of 35% reservation for women in state government jobs has won him many admirers. Pooh-poohing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claims of return of "Jungle Raj", Mithilesh Kumar Yadav, who used to work on the Ganga Rail cum Road Bridge which will connect Digha Ghat in Patna to Pahleja Ghat in Sonepur, claims that he made several promises during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections but has failed to fulfill them which leave him with no option but to back the JDU candidate.
"What Jungle Raj is he talking about? He is targeting our community and then wants us to vote for him. I am a technician. Modiji had said youngsters will be given jobs. But where are the jobs? He promised to bring back black money. That promise is also proving to be a false one. This time it is only Mahagathbandhan. We want Nitish Kumar as the chief minister once again," says Mithilesh while pointing towards the bridge which used to be his workplace till a few weeks back.
Nakta Diara has just about a dozen homes of Rajputs and about 100 families belonging to the Ravidas caste who have been categorised as Mahadalits. But even they are of the opinion that Nitish Kumar should get one more chance despite NDA's plan of getting votes of the forward castes and a large section of the Mahadalits backing it due to the presence of LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Majnhi in its ranks.
The father-son duo of Ganga Rai and Nirala Kumar, who own a large tract of agricultural land and nearly a dozen cows, say they are happy under the present administration and want it to continue. Declaring that Lalu is their leader, they say that his appeal to the Yadavs to stand united and vote for Mahagathbandhan candidates will not go in vain. Although they complain that Diara is yet to get electricity, but they are pinning their hopes on both Nitish and Lalu.
"Development is happening. More should be done to develop Diara. Electricity is a major issue and we should also get it. After sunset it becomes completely dark here and we want power," says Nirala Kumar as his father nods in agreement. He also adds that the "entire village will vote for teer".
Even as the women complain about lack of electricity, piped water supply, lack of toilets and doctors in the village, they refuse to reveal their preference but add that things have improved under Nitish Kumar's administration.
An articulate ward member of the panchayat, Jai Nath Rai lists the priority list of the villagers. "A permanent bridge connecting Patna, electricity, permanent toilets in every house, piped water supply, better schools and hospitals and timely issue of voter I cards for all the eligible people in the village," he says.
When asked who they see as forming the government on November 8 when results are declared, Rai confidently declares "Mahagathbandhan". "There is a wave in favour of Mahagathbandhan. People voted for Modiji in Lok Sabha elections. Has he kept any of his promises? No! He now says it was all jumla. He wants to end reservation. There is no job and whatever of it is left, he wants to deny that too to our youngsters. He has been given a chance. We won't waste our vote this time," adds Rai as the women back him.
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