The battle for Patliputra intensified on Thursday as RJD leader and former chief minister Rabri Devi stepped out to stump for eldest daughter and Rajya Sabha member Misa Bharti.

Rabri’s second daughter and the candidate from the Saran Lok Sabha seat, Rohini Acharya, canvassed separately for her sister in another part of the constituency.

Clad in a white-yellow sari, Rabri travelled across the southeastern part of the constituency, stopping at around two dozen places to meet the people, ask about their issues and seek blessings for Misa.

RJD supporters welcomed her with flowers, garlands, drumbeats, songs and elephants along the way.

“The INDIA bloc will form the government. There is a movement for this all over the country. There is a buzz everywhere that an INDIA government is coming to power,” Rabri told reporters while campaigning.

Asked about a sudden spate of rallies by senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rabri pointed out that everybody had the right to visit anywhere in the country.

“It doesn’t matter whether the Prime Minister or others are coming here. They have the right to do so, but they should not forget that janata maalik hai (the public is the master). Be it Patliputra or entire Bihar, the people are the masters,” Rabri added.

The former chief minister downplayed the BJP’s “abki baar 400 paar” slogan and said she was not bothered about it.

Asked about the personal attacks by Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar on her husband Lalu Prasad and son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, she said: “We are neither bothered nor objecting to whatever they are saying. Let them abuse us as much as they want, the people of the country will decide the outcome.”

Buoyed by Rabri’s presence, the crowd that had gathered to welcome her asserted that it wanted a change in this poll.

“We have got nothing in the past 10 years. Construction of private houses is not development. When we visit any other state in the south or north India, we notice that we are way behind them in prosperity and public amenities. This should change now,” said Dhanesh Kumar, a resident of Kurthaul in the constituency.

“The BJP government at the Centre has followed the policy of old wine in a new bottle. Almost all its schemes are just renamed versions of the welfare programmes run by the previous Congress governments,” said Sukumar Rai of Madhopur in Patliputra.

Misa, named so by Lalu after the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) that was misused during the 1975-77 Emergency, is contesting from Patliputra for the third time. She is pitted against incumbent MP and BJP leader Ram Kripal Yadav, who trounced her in 2014 and 2019.

Ram Kripal, 66, a former RJD leader and trusted lieutenant of Lalu, revolted before the 2014 general election and joined the BJP when the patriarch decided to field Misa. The veteran politician has been a member of the Lok Sabha five times and a member of the Rajya Sabha once.

The fight had been tough in the two previous Lok Sabha polls, with Ram Kripal winning by only around 40,000 votes.

The contest could be tougher this time and he could face an uphill task if the non-Yadav and non-Muslim voters do not rally behind him like before and a small section of Yadav voters do not support him.

While Misa would be looking to build on the anti-incumbency factor, many still vouch for the suitability of Ram Kripal.

“Ram Kripal is soft-spoken and easily approachable. He participates in people’s happiness and sorrow and is always eager to help them if possible, be it in Patna or Delhi. He got a road constructed in my area from his MPLAD funds,” said Sanjeev Kumar, a businessman residing at Birla Colony in Phulwarisharif.

“On the other hand, approaching or contacting Misa is next to impossible. She visits the people only when there are elections and differentiates between them on the lines of supporters and non-supporters,” Sanjeev added.

The Patliputra constituency came into existence in 2008 through delimitation. It went to Lok Sabha polls for the first time in 2009 with RJD chief Lalu taking on his friend-turned-foe Ranjan Prasad Yadav fielded by the JDU. The latter won by around 24,000 votes.

However, Lalu had also contested from the Saran seat and won from there.

Patliputra votes on June 1