The festival jinx has returned to haunt Bihar, the Nitish Kumar government in particular, with the unfortunate drowning of 24 persons into the Ganga on the day of Makar Sankranti. The mishap occurred when two country-boats carrying people three times their capacity sank barely 25 metres from Sabalpur Diara, an island in the middle of the river, that has emerged as a popular picnic spot for the revellers of all hues in winter in recent years.