'We have been struggling with problems, but we want to elect Tejashwi to see him as the next chief minister.'
When it comes to Raghopur, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, the chief ministerial face of the opposition Mahagathbandhan, holds considerable sway.
For many, he represents a hope to develop neglected and underdeveloped Raghopur. Others see him as the one who can change the face of Raghopur's poor if he becomes chief minister this time; for some, he is simply their protector.
"Here there are problems after problems. Life is not easy, but we will vote for Tejashwi to make him chief minister," says Hariballabh Rai, a resident of Rustampur village in Raghopur, which is situated beside the Ganga and is located barely 30 km from Patna.
Rai's sentiment is not isolated; it is common across Raghopur. This largely rural and riverine belt is surrounded by the river and resembles an island that has been left to struggle for achche din (good days).
Tejashwi won the Raghopur seat in the 2015 and 2020 assembly polls.
This seat is a stronghold of his family: his father, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his mother Rabri Devi, a former chief minister, have both won the seat. Lalu won the seat twice; Rabri won it thrice.
The family has lost the seat only once: On 2010, when Rabri was defeated by the Janata Dal-United's Satish Yadav.
The same Satish Yadav, who is challenging Tejashwi as the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate this time, is highlighting development work such as the new six-lane bridge over the Ganga that connects Raghopur to Patna and the welfare schemes of the National Democratic Alliance government at the state and Centre.
"This new bridge brings happiness to us because earlier it was difficult to travel to Patna and would take two hours; now people travel in 10 to 15 minutes," says Ratan Kumar, a local farmer.
There are plenty of problems in the area, including a lack of infrastructure, poor facilities for education and health, joblessness, and the annual recurrence of floods and soil erosion -- a major issue for residents.
Villagers mostly support Tejashwi but expressed their anguish over the lack of health facilities, no drinking water available in taps, and insufficient development to create employment.
"No doubt we have been struggling with problems, but we want to elect Tejashwi to see him as the next chief minister. After coming to power, he will work to develop Raghopur," says Shiv Balak Kumar, a resident of Malikpur.
Balak Kumar acknowledges that Tejashwi does not visit Raghopur frequently and has not done much to develop it.
"A CM face is a CM face; we will prefer to elect Tejashwi in place of an MLA. Tejashwi will win from here. We want to change the government in Bihar by replacing Nitish Kumar with Tejashwi," says Nitish Kumar Yadav, a shopkeeper in Himmatpur village.
"Tejashwi is thinking about youths, jobs, and their future," says Sanjeet Yadav, a young labourer working in Patna. "We have faith and hope in him."
In Rampur, BJP candidate Satish Yadav's village, the villagers appear to favour Tejashwi over Satish Yadav.
"We are with the RJD and support Tejashwi; there is no question of supporting Satish, though he is from our village," says Vijay Rai.
A retired state government clerk, who refuses to disclose his name, says. "We have been voting for Lalu's family since the beginning and will vote for them this time too."
Another villager, Kunta Prasad, claims that over 90 per cent of villagers in this Yadav-dominated area support Tejashwi. "Look around the village; only RJD flags are visible, everyone in the village is talking about supporting Tejashwi," he says.
Some like Umesh Rai of Zafrabad village laments that after winning the polls, "no one comes to see us or does anything to help us during the floods."
Land erosion is another major problem, but little has been done to minimise it, let alone halt it fully, as the swelling river continues to erode farmlands year after year.
Still, as Rajesh Ram, a resident of Malikpur, asserts, "Tejashwi has the momentum here; he will win."
"If the RJD, led by Tejashwi, comes to power, he will work for development," says Alok Dev Rai, a resident of Rustampur. "We want employment and development."
In Raghopur, the BJP's hope lies with the upper caste Rajputs, who have a sizeable population, and the Extremely Backward Castes, given that the majority of Yadavs seem to be tilting towards Tejashwi.
© 2025