The “Jungle Raj” label is sticking to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and it appears to be impacting his party’s performance. With 34 leads, RJD’s lantern is going dark, indicating a possible loss for the party.
The BJP has been using the “Jungle Raj” barb to criticise Tejashwi Yadav’s party, citing his father’s tenure as Chief Minister. They’ve also highlighted corruption charges against Tejashwi and his family. Tejashwi Yadav has countered, saying if RJD’s rule was “Jungle Raj,” the current government is “Rakshasa Raj” (demon’s rule).
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14 Oct 2025
He’s focused on issues like unemployment, reservation, and saving the Constitution. However, the voters were not convinced by his promises, even after he held a whirlwind 171 public meetings and persuaded a restless electorate that he could deliver the change they wanted.
In a bid to shed the “Jungle Raj” tag, he even left out RJD supremo Lalu Yadav from his posters, but he still had to bear the brunt of the controversial legacy of his family.
Moreover, the alliance partner Congress was also leading at 6 seats, trailing by 11 seats from their 2020 election tally. Both BJP and JD(U) regularly evoked memories of the 15-year RJD “misrule” when the state was known for high crime rate, corruption and misgovernance.
In fact Tejashwi also faces corruption charges in the alleged IRCTS Hotels case. The Rouse Avenue Court recently rejected pleas of Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi against a day-to-day trial in the IRCTC Hotels corruption case. The court said their prayer is not maintainable, practicable or justified.
The special CBI court is recording the Prosecution’s evidence after framing charges against the accused persons. This case pertains to alleged corruption in the tendering process for two IRCTC hotels in Ranchi and Puri during the tenure of Lalu Prasad Yadav as Railway Minister.
While framing charges on October 13, the Rouse Avenue Court listed the matter for day-to-day hearing to record the Prosecution’s evidence. The court had framed charges against Lalu Prasad Yadav, Rabri Devi, Tejaswi Yadav and others in criminal Conspiracy and sections related to other offences in the IRCTC hotel corruption case.
Tejashwi’s challenge has been to retain the Muslim-Yadav core while expanding into the aspirational classes, particularly the EBCs and youth, which early trends indicate that he has failed to strike a chord with. Tejashwi Yadav however failed to shake off the “Jungle Raj” stigma.
Moreover, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s clean image and pragmatic, inclusive approach to governance have bridged long-standing gaps, exceeding historically low expectations. His development-focused politics continues to strike a chord with voters, ensuring his enduring relevance after over 20 years in power.
Moreover, Congress continued its lacklustre performance, adding to the woes of Mahagathbandhan. Congress also saw a decline in performance from 27 seats it won in 2015 to 19 in 2020. In 2015, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) was the dominant party in terms of high-margin victories, having secured 29 seats with a margin greater than 15%. In 2020, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the most high-margin seats, securing 19 seats by a margin greater than 15%.
