Raghopur may become Rabri's Amethi

Electorate in Raghopur believe that there is more to come, if they re-elect Rabri Devi, writes Pallavi.

A pontoon bridge connects Bihar's Amethi to the rest of the world. And for those who are not adventurous enough, boats ferry them to Raghopur, Chief Minister Rabri Devi's constituency.

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A ride through pipa pul (Pipa bridge) to Raghopur often turns fatal for many. The crippled bridge has claimed more than a dozen lives in recent years. The onset of monsoons renders the makeshift arrangement even more perilous.

A narrow strip of a road that runs through the constituency, poses another struggle for commuters, and for heavy vehicles. Thatched huts are all that catches the eye, spread sparsely in between the fields. Except for an open hut that can be distinguished as a school, Raghopur looks quiet, until a campaign vehicle arrives.

On poll eve, this high-profile constituency seems to have woken up from stupor. Shailendra, a villager, says now is the time to assert himself. Against whom? RJD chief Lalu Prasad, of course, he says.

Here, RJD poll symbol lantern is a synonym for the Railway Minister. Rabri Devi follows later. "Rabri Devi aur Lalu ji ek hi na hain (Lalu and Rabri Devi are one)," quips Shailendra.

He airs his grievances and soon, others join him to form a bitter chorus. They complain about poor roads, frequent power-cuts and unemployment.

Mangni, a farmer, complains, "No work has been done by Rabri Devi. Many of us are still struggling to procure a ration card and housing grant under Indira Awas Yojna. Not only this, we get hardly two hours of electricity everyday."

Sheela is disgruntled over the Chief Minister's "once in five years" visit to the constituency. "She rarely comes. When poll nears, she remembers us."

What, then, explains their elected MLA's mass support? "Who do we vote then? No Yadav here is as great a figure as Lalu ji or Rabri Devi," she says.

Apparently, caste takes precedence over development in this Yadav-dominated constituency. Moreover, there is little awareness about other candidates in the constituency. Though LJP posters can be seen posted across the village, none looks eager to think beyond the RJD chief.