Patna, Nov 16 (IANS) In the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections, an image that created waves and grabbed the spotlight was Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) Chief Mukesh Sahani going fishing in a water reservoir, along with local fishermen.

Rahul Gandhi along with Mukesh Sahani took to a nearby pond after addressing a public rally in Begusarai and the image of their plunge in the chest-deep waters made a splash in local as well as national media, prompting poll analysts to believe that their camaraderie and friendly interaction with the local fishermen will have a bearing in the electoral outcome.

However, this is not how it turned out to be.

Mahagathbandhan’s drubbing in the elections saw Begusarai voting for the NDA, with the latter sweeping five of total seven seats in the district.

Many locals speaking to media after the poll results that ‘jungle raj’ weighed heavily on their minds and therefore was the crucial factor in choosing their party and leader.

“Voting for Congress/VIP would mean voting for the jungle raj of RJD era,” they opined while sharing a common opinion.

Contrary to popular belief that Sahani community will vote for the Mahagathbandhan, many locals said that the Congress will have to come out of RJD’s shadows if they want to fare better.

A couple of locals from Shankh village in Begusarai spoke to IANS about the reason for the Grand Alliance’s defeat.

“Whether it was Mukesh Sahani or Congress’s Rahul Gandhi, they allied with people who were rejected by the public. This is why many locals did not support Mukesh Sahani or Rahul Gandhi,” a local said.

Another person said this was nothing more than a political stunt.

“Rahul Gandhi came and jumped into the pond, but the fish he caught were dead fish, not ones that could be sold in the market. To win the votes of the Sahani community, Congress will have to break ties with the RJD, as people have not forgotten the effects of ‘Jungle Raj’. Its effects are still remembered,” he added.

He also said that Congress will have to contest the elections independently to win the polls because as long as they remain in alliance with the RJD, the Sahani community will not accept them.

“Only by constantly meeting with the people will you get their votes. Nothing will be achieved by coming just for one day,” another resident said.

–IANS

mr/khz