Battle of the Bahubalis

Gangsters in Bihar no longer enjoy the kind of dominance that they did in the 90s, but that has not kept them away from politics

- Md Asghar Khan

IT was 7 PM. Syed Imtiaz, 35, was returning home. The bank in Bodh Gaya where he worked was about 30 km from his residence in Sherghati. He would take a bus and leave from office by 5 PM every day because these routes were not considered to be safe after sunset. On that fateful day, he rode to his office on his newly-purchased bike, but got late while returning.

While he was crossing the Sagahi Bridge, two gun-toting men stopped him. He could guess who they were and what may happen next. A petrified Imtiaz jumped off the bridge. The two men fled with his new bike. They were bahubalis. The Yadavs. They were a terror in the Magadh region then. It was the 90s.

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Until 2005, Bihar was rife with looting, extortion, murders, and bullying by the bahubalis. “In Purnea and Siwan, whenever Pappu Yadav or Shahabuddin passed through a neighbourhood in their respective cities, everything would come to a standstill,” recalls senior journalist Adityanath Jha. “There would be anxious discussions at the squares and intersections in advance of their arrival. So horrific was the fear induced by them.” But now, people are not bothered. There was a phase in Bihar’s politics in 2005 when bahubalis were sidelined. Jha believes that the terror of the strongmen has decreased since Nitish Kumar came to power.

The list of bahubalis in Bihar is a long one and includes people from every caste and religion. They no longer enjoy the kind of dominance that they did in the 90s; but they are able to make use of their past standing to gain entry into electoral politics.

Sensing an opportunity to build their vote banks, most parties have indulged in propping up bahubalis politically by offering them tickets. At present, bahubalis are contesting elections directly or via proxies in as many as ten constituencies.