Abhinandan Mishra
Patna
The construction of Ram Temple or rather the failure to do it is not an election issue for the voters of Bihar.
Voters with whom I interacted in the last 10 days, said that they had no anger with the BJP for not building a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, something that the party has been campaigning for long now.
In Fact it were mix of other issues like Pakistan, Pulwama, a perception that there has been an overall decrease in the level of corruption in the country , roads, electricity and employment that is being discussed to determine whom to vote for.
"We are not concerned with Ram Temple, it is good if it is built, it doesn't matter if is not. When we discuss politics, we talk about jobs, nationalism, roads, law and order, medical facilities, things that affect our life directly. The Modi government, overall, has given good governance and the opposition doesn't have any credible face who can match him", said 29 years old Nanhe Singh of Patna.
For Mukesh Kumar, 32,who resides in Masaurhi, a sub division of Patna, and works as a driver, better infrastructure and smoother traffic conditions in Patna was the main issue. "I do keep reading about Ram Temple but it is not a huge issue for me. We have Hanuman temple, kali temple in Patna which is enough. I would be more happy if the government focuses on improving traffic conditions, removing encroachment in Patna. These local issues affect my life, not whether a temple is built in Ayodhya or not", he said.
In Patna Sahib, the NDA candidate and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad too is focusing on local issues and national issues like Pakistan and his claims of a corruption free government that Modi has given. While he started his campaign almost one month ago, the Grand Alliance candidate, Shatrughan Sinha, began his campaign only last week. Sinha, who recently joined the Congress, got a rude welcome at the Congress office in Sadaqat Ashram where many Congress workers sat on a protest against his nomination. Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is putting everything he has got into his campaign is trying to touch every part of the huge constituency that is spread across 6 assembly seats. Prasad who is contesting a lok sabha poll for the first time is also facing some resistance from pocket of Kayastha voters who wanted the party ticket to be given to either Rk Sinha or his son,Rituraj Sinha.
"No one in our circle cares about Ram temple in Ayodhya. Who has the time? I am more concerned about better connectivity between Arrah and Patna as that will help me reaching home on time. For me sanitation in and around Hanuman temple will get more appreciation for the government rather than a Ram Temple in Ayodhya ", said Sushma Devi, an attendant in a local hotel in Patna.
Patna, which for many years lacked basic infrastructure, is slowly moving towards a state where it can match its status of a state capital. In the recent few years, mobile based applications like Swiggy, Food Panda, Ola, Uber, which did not found it conducive to function in Patna, have now become popular now.
Observers say this has happened because of an overall increase in infrastructure, electricity and improved law and order which has given confidence to investors to invest money in the state.
"Lalu ji got 15 years time, Nitish and Modi have got less than that but they have managed to change many things in Bihar. I do not think that the voters will want to derail this way of governance", said a Patna based senior journalist.
