Raja Bhaiya's rise as a feared ruler and successful politician coincides with the period when musclemen stopped merely backing netas, instead used the instability to turn netas. In the mid-nineties, small groups of MLAs decided the fate of coalition governments. Men such as Raja Bhaiya became a political necessity. As Uttar Pradesh's caste cauldron churned - Raja Bhaiya emerged as the face of Thakurs - or Kshatriyas - small in numbers but dominant.
