To travel the 30 km from Patna to Raghopur in Vaishali district, one has to take perhaps the three finest pieces of infrastructure built during Nitish Kumar’s 20-year tenure as Bihar Chief Minister: the six-lane Atal Path, the four-lane J P Ganga Expressway, and the newly inaugurated six-lane, cable-stayed Kacchi Dargah-Bidupur Bridge. However, all signs of development disappear as one is about to enter the riverine island on the Ganga.Dilapidated roads and patchy tarmac greet visitors to the Raghopur Assembly constituency, which remains inundated for two to three months each year. The Yadav-dominated seat, where farming is the primary occupation of a majority of people, has been with the RJD’s first family since party founder Lalu Prasad’s victory in 1995 (except the 2010-2015 term, when the JD-U held it) and has been with Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav for the last two terms. This time, though, there is a faint buzz in the air amid speculation that Jan Suraaj movement founder and political strategist Prashant Kishor may take on Tejashwi from the Raghopur, which votes in the second phase on November 11.AdvertisementAlso read | How NDA sealed Bihar seat-sharing pact: BJP, JD(U) on equal footing for the first time, Chirag Paswan gets his wayAmong the RJD leader’s supporters is Lalu Yadav, who was born the year the former CM won Raghopur. And for him, the main poll agenda is jobs. “My father named me after him (Lalu Prasad),” Lalu says, flashing a tattoo of his first name on his right forearm.The 29-year-old, who works with his three elder siblings at an under-construction bridge nearby for Rs 50 an hour, says it is high time Nitish Kumar is voted out. “Nitish ji has been the CM for 20 years, but has done nothing for Raghopur. He promised one crore jobs, where are they?”One of his brothers says he too will vote for Tejashwi, but is sceptical about the RJD leader’s promise of government jobs for each family in the state. “I haven’t even completed my education beyond Class 10, so how will I get a government job? We need factories and other opportunities for those without formal education,” he says.AdvertisementMinti Devi, another local, shares her frustration about government schemes. “My husband passed away in 2023, but I still haven’t received my widow’s pension. I’ve been running from the block office to the court to get an affidavit done. I’m not educated enough, so I paid someone to do it, but they took the money and disappeared,” she says, adding both the ruling party and the RJD have ignored her.Conversations with others in the area also bring up a litany of concerns: broken roads, soil erosion, unemployment, migration, and the constant struggle for government support.Women from the village of Jafrabad in the Raghopur block also claim that government support does not reach them. Chanu Devi says she applied for a loan under the Jeevika scheme but has yet to receive the money.In Premium | There’s a new ‘M’ factor in Bihar elections: Mahila, will it counter Nitish fatigue?Anjali Kumari, also associated with the Jeevika scheme — which aims at social and economic empowerment of the rural poor, especially women — says, “Nitish ji has done a lot for women, but I still haven’t received the Rs 10,000 under the Mukhymantri Mahila Rojgar Yojna. Tejashwi ji has promised Rs 2500 for every home, but can he really do it?”For others such as Sumit Rai and Avinash Rai, erosion caused by the Ganga and the poor state of roads are the major problems. “Every year, people lose their homes and farms. If we don’t have land, how can we expect development? Politicians talk about it during elections, but once they win, nothing is done,” says Sumit.For people such as 65-year-old Arvind Kumar Rai, who has seen the tenures of Lalu, Rabri Devi, and Tejashwi, Kishor is an exciting new option. However, they may end up voting for the RJD in all probability, as they don’t see the political strategist as a viable alternative yet.Praising Kishor, Sanjay Kumar Rai says his ideas are “good”, but he does not have widespread support. “Even if we vote for him, our vote will be wasted. He doesn’t have a track record as a politician. His principles and ideas will take time.”most readAlso read | Bihar Assembly polls: 52 seats went down to the wire in 2020, may again decide Mahagathbandhan or NDA fortunesMithilesh Kumar says he recognises Kishor from the videos on social media. “I agree with what he says about migration and unemployment that we must get jobs in Bihar. Modi and Nitish Kumar overlooked us, Chirag Paswan, who became MP from the area, travel only in Delhi and Patna. He says Bihar first, Bihari first, but aren’t we Biharis too? Corruption is rampant, if solar lights come for 10-15 poles in the village, only three to four get installed.”Sushila Devi says she liked how Kishor interacted with people, “Leaders don’t visit the area barring elections or some occasions. Tejashwi Yadav visits the area, but local leaders and supporters generally surround him. So, how can normal people communicate their concerns and problems to him? Leaders should treat everyone equally and listen to everyone’s problem.”However, members of the upper castes share their frustration about Tejashwi and say the CM has done his best to develop the area. “Tejashwi ji has been the MLA here for 10 years, his family for another decade, but we still have no college or hospital. We have to go to Patna or Hajipur for everything … If not for Nitish ji, it would have had to take hours just to reach Patna’s Gandhi Maidan … He has done a lot and if given another term, will surely do more,” says a local who does not wish to be identified.**********