Stagnant Caste Coalition, Jungle Raj Legacy, Poor Coordination Leads To Gathbandhan Failure In Bihar Polls

The Mahagathbandhan's ambitious attempt to reclaim power in the Bihar assembly election fell short as the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) projected a landslide victory on over 200 seats, with early leads revealing deep structural weaknesses within the Opposition bloc.

A mix of organisational lapses, a stagnant caste coalition, the persistence of the "Jungle Raj" narrative, Congress's insistence to harp on the 'Vote Theft' allegation made the circumstances tough for the Mahagathbandha to win the assembly polls.Rashtriya Janata Dal entered the 2025 contest with its traditional Muslim-Yadav (MY) vote bank, together constituting roughly 30 per cent of Bihar's electorate. While historically robust, this foundation was insufficient in a triangular and highly competitive election. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav struggled to penetrate the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), Dalits and aspirational youth who have steadily gravitated toward the JD(U)-BJP combine over the last decade.The MY formula, crafted by Lalu Prasad Yadav in 1990 in the aftermath of the Bhagalpur riots, had once propelled the party to uninterrupted power until 2005.

However, in the 2025 polls, early leads indicated that Tejashwi could not expand beyond this conventional vote bank. The much-publicised 2023 caste survey, pitched by the RJD as a landmark for backward caste empowerment, failed to translate into cross-sectional traction, with critics calling it a political tool rather than a transformative measure.As a result, RJD's reliance on its old formula proved limiting at a time when Bihar's electoral map is shaped by newer socio-economic aspirations.Despite Tejashwi Yadav's vigorous attempt to reposition the RJD as a party of governance and welfare, the shadow of the 1990-2005 period, widely labelled "Jungle Raj", remained a powerful deterrent for many voters.

The phrase, first used by the Patna High Court in 1997, continues to symbolise an era marked by rampant kidnappings, caste violence, extortion, lawlessness and economic deterioration.Crime data from that period remains etched in public memory: kidnappings rose by nearly 66 per cent, recurring caste massacres such as the Bathani Tola and Laxmanpur Bathe killings, and the notorious criminalisation of politics under figures like Mohammad Shahabuddin. High-profile murders of IAS officers, MLAs and bureaucrats continue to feature in political narratives every election season.