Political Fishing Trip Backfires Tej Pratap Sharp Jab
Updated on Nov - 03 - 2025, 11:45 AM
In the run-up to the upcoming assembly elections in Begusarai, Rahul Gandhi decided to dive into local culture literally. He joined fishermen in a pond, wading in to catch fish by hand and with nets, as part of his campaign efforts.
What followed, however, turned the moment into fodder for political jabs. Tej Pratap Yadav took aim at the Congress leader, suggesting, with evident sarcasm, that if he’s so comfortable catching fish, he might as well become a cook (“rasoiya”) instead of a politician. “His job is to ride a motorcycle and spread pollution… he’ll spend his entire life fishing,” Yadav said.
Joining the chorus, BJP MP Ravi Kishan added that Gandhi would receive “even fewer votes than the number of fish he caught.”
What had been intended as an image-building exercise showing him connecting with grassroots traditions and fishing communities instead became politically charged and mocked by opponents. Rahul’s participation in the ritual was part of his “Vote Adhikaar Yatra” in Bihar ahead of the November elections.
The lines of attack focus not just on the act itself but on what it symbolizes: the perception of being out of touch, of taking theatrics to reach voters, and of campaign ploys backfiring when opponents seize on them. For Yadav and the BJP, the moment offers a ready-made sound bite: fishing-for-votes becomes literally fishing for fish turning the intended positive moment into political satire.
From Rahul Gandhi’s side, the risk is that an initiative meant to show solidarity with local fishermen may instead be framed as a stunt or spectacle. The “fisherman” image can charm when done sensitively but when opponents wreath it in jibes about inexperience and misfit roles, the message shifts.
In sum: a moment meant to resonate with rural voters morphed into a meme-friendly campaign snapshot. The ritual of hand-catching fish became a metaphor for campaign-craft and opponents pounced. The lesson perhaps: symbolic gestures in politics come with high stakes; if adversaries define the narrative, the moment can backfire fast.