As the Mahagathbandhan stares at a crushing defeat in Bihar, memories of lawlessness during Lalu Prasad Yadav's rule between 1990 and 2005 are surfacing again. Tejashwi Yadav's setback may have surprised many, but not those who lived through what they describe as a terrifying 15-year period of "jungle raj". Advertisement

In 2020, Tejashwi came within striking distance of forming the government as the Mahagathbandhan won 110 seats - just 12 short of the majority mark. This time, he may have expected voters to be fatigued with Nitish Kumar's two decades in power. But the results suggest that the memories of misgovernance under his parents - Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi were too deeply entrenched to overcome.

Rabri served as chief minister from 2000 to 2005, when Lalu was sent to jail

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