Bihar: How was the term 'jungle raj' linked with Lalu Yadav-led RJD and who used it for first time?

Patna:

Bihar is gearing up for its high-stakes assembly elections, with all 243 seats set to go to the polls in two phases on November 6 and November 11. The results are scheduled to be announced on November 14. Political parties across the spectrum have launched vigorous campaigns, each vying to secure a decisive mandate.

Amid the intense electoral battle, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), led by Lalu Prasad Yadav, has once again come under scrutiny for its governance during the much-debated “jungle raj” era. During a rally in Samastipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invoked the term “jungle raj” 17 times, urging people to remember the period from 1995 to 2005 when the RJD was in power, and recounting the tales of lawlessness and misgovernance that marked that decade.

Who coined the term jungle raj and when was it first used?

The term “Jungle Raj” first appeared in 1997 during an oral observation by a Patna High Court judge. The remark was made in response to severe waterlogging in Patna caused by torrential rains. Civil society groups had filed several Public Interest Litigations (PILs) regarding the issue, highlighting the failure of governance at the time. Rabri Devi was the Chief Minister, while Lalu Prasad Yadav was in jail due to the Fodder Scam.

The court rebuked the Municipal Corporation over poor civic conditions in Patna, asserting that "it is worse than the Jungle Raj and there is no regard to court directions and public interest."

BJP leader Sushil Modi later popularised the term, using it to criticise law and order during the Lalu-Rabri era. The term has since been used to criticise the RJD in every election by the BJP and its allies.

BJP leaders have also cited alleged incidents of the looting of car showrooms and jewelry shops during Misa Bharti’s marriage as examples of what they describe as the “jungle raj” era. They also often target the Lalu family over corruption, kidnappings and frequent extortion demands during RJD tenure.

Tejashwi’s counter attack

In response, Tejashwi Yadav argued that the term was never applied to the BJP, pointing out that even minor incidents were exaggerated during RJD’s tenure.

The RJD leader said BJP-ruled states were leading the charts of highest crime rate. He said kidnappings, rapes and murders were rampant across these states, which was the real example of “jungle raj.”