Shall revive RJD:Lalu.

Attributing his party's humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections to split in secular votes and lack of coordination with Ramvilas Paswan's LJP, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Thursday said he would reach people in villages to revive the party. 

"I have constituted a 21-member committee headed by former Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh to analyse the reasons for our defeat, suggest measures for party's revival and names of candidates for the 15 seats that have fallen vacant due to election of sitting MLAs to the Lok Sabha," Prasad told reporters here. 

"I will devote my full time to revive RJD for which I will visit each and every village by road," he told reporters after a review meeting to analyse the causes of party's debacle in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. 

Expressing his resolve to revive the party, the RJD strongman said, "I have weathered many a political storm. Our defeat in elections notwithstanding, I will continue to fight for protection of Bihar's interest." 

Claiming that the party's support base had not shrunk, Prasad said despite not emerging winner in most seats, the RJD polled 48 lakh votes in 28 seats which it contested, but ultimately could not do well because of the split in the secular votes. 

Prasad alleged that a large number of voters belonging to the poor section were not allowed to cast their votes as they were not provided with EPIC, while the Nitish Kumar government "used the police to intimidate RJD voters". 

"Though the assembly elections are 16 months away, I will work overtime to expose the misdeeds of the Nitish Kumar government and strengthen the organisational structure," he said, identifying lack of coordination between LJP and RJD workers as one of the reasons for the defeat as the alliance was stitched up "in a hurry". 

Prasad said that LJP has convened its workers' meeting at Patna on June 8 which will be followed by a similar RJD conference on June 11. A joint conference of the two parties would follow. 

The RJD, he said, would contest all the 24 seats of legislative council to be filled from the local bodies scheduled at the end of June. 

He charged the Nitish Kumar government with befooling the masses by promising good governance. "Kumar won by bragging about reaching the fruits of development to the people when the fund was actually made available by the Centre." 

"Kumar was just an implementing agency", Prasad said and added "Bharat sarkar ka paisa or ration garibon mein bant kar vote liya hai Nitish ne (Nitish cornered the votes by distributing the Central funds and ration among the poor)." 

He demanded the state government should make public the Bandhopadhya Committee Report on Land Reforms, the list of people living below poverty line and the beneficiaries of 'Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyan'. 

Refusing to comment on his non-inclusion in the UPA government at the Centre, the former Railway Minister expressed confidence that the people will once again repose faith in him and his party. 

Learning from defeat:Lalu

With the prospects of his return to the Union Cabinet appearing bleak, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday said that he was going to devote full time to reviving his party that was battered in the recent elections in Bihar.

“We have lent unconditional support to the Congress-led secular government and becoming a Minister is not an issue,” he said. “Now I will go to the people in villages and devote all my time to the revival of my party. I will spend an entire year in villages across Bihar among the poor.”

Striking a philosophical note, Mr. Prasad said, “I have weathered many a political storm. In politics, today’s winner is tomorrow’s loser. Victory and defeat are normal happenings.”

“RJD’s defeat in the elections notwithstanding, I will ensure that Bihar’s interests are protected,” he said while addressing an election meeting to canvass support for LJP nominee Puneet Rai in the byelection to the Fatwah Assembly constituency in Rural Patna.

Mr. Prasad said the poor forgot his contributions to alleviating their suffering during the Kosi floods. “I was instrumental in sending Army men for their rescue and despatched cargo trains with relief material free of cost.”

“Often in politics those who do good work lose and those who merely brag about reaching fruits of development to the people win,” he added.

All five seats in the Kosi region — Madhepura, Supaul, Katihar, Purnia and Araria — were bagged by the ruling NDA in the Lok Sabha elections.

No choppers for me now:Lalu

The great entertainer who once was the railways minister of India has vowed not to fly on choppers and be grounded in Bihar for the next one year??

It could well be one of his old antics!

The RJD went in to a huddle at Patna to find the reason for the debacle in recent polls.The party has pledged to revive itself.

The old folklore of Yadavs lost in the glory of power and governance after Krishna led to there demolition seems be true in this case too.

Lalu took the public innocence for granted and depended on cheap antics to garner votes.

It seems he was able to fool all for quite some time.

But the Bihar electorate proved to be more pragmatic and development oriented than Lalu thought.

Now will Lalu and his arrogant party take responsibility of taking Bihar to dogs in there 15 years rule?

If they do so and work really as a good opposition the people will recon there sincerity.

Shall revive RJD:Lalu.

Becoming a minister in UPA Government is not an issue for RJD supremo Lalu Prasad as he wants to devote his time in reviving the party which was drubbed in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections in Bihar that faces Assembly polls next year.

"We have lent unconditional support to the Congress-led secular government and becoming a minister is not an issue. Now, I will go to the people in villages and devote my full time for the revival of my party," he said.

Mr. Prasad said: "I have weathered many political storms. In politics, today's winner is tomorrow's loser. Victory and defeat are normal happenings."

"RJD's defeat in the elections notwithstanding, I will ensure that Bihar's interests are protected," he said, while addressing a rally to draw support for LJP nominee Puneet Rai in the bypoll for Fatwah assembly seat in Rural Patna.

"Today, there are only four RJD MPs in the house, but I am sufficient enough to protect the state's interests," the former railway minister said.

"The poor forgot my contributions to alleviating their suffering during the Kosi floods. I was instrumental in sending armymen for their rescue and dispatched relief-laden cargo trains free of cost," he said.

Often in politics those who do good work lose and those who merely brag about reaching fruits of development to the people win, Mr. Prasad said.

RJD was able to bag only four seats in the recent polls, 18 less than what it got in 2004 general elections.

Power is never permanent:Lalu.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav appeared resigned to fate about his possible non-inclusion in the Union Cabinet saying "power comes and power goes."

"Power does not remain forever. It comes and goes. Ups and downs, ups and downs. We have seen a lot of this," he told NDTV whether it would be difficult for him to be out of power.

Mr. Prasad said his inclusion in the cabinet was the prerogative of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

RJD, which was the largest ally of the UPA in the 14th Lok Sabha, managed to win only four seats in the recent general elections.

Mr. Lalu Prasad and LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan had joined hands with Samajwadi Party to form the Fourth Front which got 27 seats in the elections. Paswan's party faced a complete rout in the elections as his party could not win a single seat.

Mr. Prasad said he would go back to the people who are the real strength of the party.

"We will go back to the people who are our real strength.

Winning and losing is a part of politics," the RJD chief said.

Another jolt to Lalu!!

After the drubbing at the hustings, Lalu Prasad and Ramvilas Paswan may be in for another shock. The home ministry - responsible for providing security to VVIPs - is considering paring down their security. 

Paswan, who was holding charge of steel and chemical & fertiliser ministries, lost his seat while outgoing railway minister Lalu Prasad is a mere shadow in his former stronghold of Bihar. Both enjoy Z plus security. There are indications are that Lalu may not find a place in the Union Cabinet lending credence to the logic that security for the duo may be brought down a notch. However, a final call on the matter will be taken by the new home minister. 

"With new additions to the cabinet, we may have to relook at the security provided to those who have lost the election and are no longer part of the cabinet. But a call will be taken by the home minister on the matter,'' a senior ministry official said. 

Meanwhile, on Tuesday the Railway Protection Force guarding Lalu's Patna bungalow was withdrawn. Reports suggested that security personnel had been withdrawn from his 10, Circular Road residence with effect from Tuesday morning. This was done following instructions from the RPF headquarters. The East Central Railway has also dismantled the camp office erected at the Patna bungalow. The bungalow, where Prasad stays, has been allotted to his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi. 

At present, 412 VIPs and VVIPs in Delhi are protected by a heavy contingent of cops including NSG personnel. There is immense pressure on security forces and with VIP security increasingly being seen as a status symbol, the home ministry is under constant pressure. 

The security apparatus is divided into five categories in which the Special Protection Group is the elite force, followed by Z plus, Z, Y and X. Z plus and the categories above it are manned by NSG black cats with six personal security officers, two head constables, 12 constables, a pilot vehicle and an escort. Leaders like L K Advani, Narendra Modi, Jayalalithaa, Mayawati, Amar Singh and Paswan have been provided with this cover. 

In addition to people who have been provided security by the Centre, the state governments too have various categories of VIP security cover. 

However, the Prime Minister and his family members, former Prime Ministers and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her family members are protected by the elite SPG. 

The home ministry has plans to create a single force dedicated to VIP security, other than SPG, to reduce the burden on paramilitary and police forces. 

Ranjan had the last laugh!!

In RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s defeat from Pataliputra, lies a story about an old friendship gone sour.

Once the “right hand man” of Lalu, Ranjan Prasad Yadav had been given a ticket by the JD(U) after he crossed over from the Lok Janshakti Party. He jumped at the chance of taking on Lalu, and now he has proved right the faith reposed by Nitish Kumar in him.

While many people did not give him much of a chance earlier because of his association with Lalu, political observers now believe Ranjan put into good use the tricks of the trade learnt under his mentor and friend. A former geology teacher at Patna University, he had retired to join politics full time.

Ranjan says he believes that Lalu deliberately kept him away from electoral politics. “I served as an RJD MP twice but never had the feel of voters that made Lalu what he is today.”According to RJD insiders, while Ranjan was Lalu’s second-in-command from 1990 onwards, they had a falling out as Rabri didn’t like him too much.

 Ranjan had opposed the dominance of Rabri’s brothers-in-law in Bihar.After he was jailed in connection with the fodder scam, Lalu also got suspicious of Ranjan, afraid that he would usurp power in his absence. “When Lalu proposed Rabri’s name as his successor in 1997, Ranjan opposed it. But Ranjan mellowed and reconciled to his truncated position, till he finally left in 2002,” said a political analyst. Having now handed out a defeat to Lalu from Pataliputra by 14,541 votes, Ranjan still remembers their past association fondly. 

He recalls how they met during their college days at Patna University in the late 1960s, got close and often ate from the same plate. Their families visited each other’s houses. Ranjan’s family oversaw Lalu’s wedding. He remembers the JP Movement that saw the birth of all the current top Bihar leaders — Lalu, Nitish and Sushil Kumar Modi.

“I am the one who knows all about Lalu — his pretentions, threatrics and shenanigans, along with his strengths,” Ranjan says. “I had initially thought he would do something for OBCs, but he gave them only abstract pride while famished people want something concrete.”

He acknowledges that most people saw the Pataliputra fight as that between David and Goliath.

“But while Laluji had been moving all around Bihar, I had been visiting all the nooks and corners of Pataliputra. The wind was blowing in favour of Nitish and caste factor was fast disintegrating for development,” he says.

Lalu the Fall!!

Lalu Prasad Yadav, 60, Minister of Railways

Result: 4/10

Lalu rode the gravy train with the six Railway Budgets he presented, doling out fare cuts. His biggest claim—generating a Rs 90,000 crore cash surplus—was laden with accounting jugglery, though he is quick to refute that. Under Lalu, the Railways transformed itself into a competitive transporter in the freight business but did not hike passenger fares.

HIS BRIEF

UPA’s CMP talked of increase in public investment for modernisation, track renewal, safety and reforms.

THE DELIVERIES

• Revolutionised the way people booked tickets with irctc.co.in, the e-ticket reservation website.

• A scheme to upgrade passengers to a higher class was a major hit.

• Introduced Garib Rath. By increasing the carrying capacity, Railways offered 45-50 per cent cheaper fares on air-conditioned travel.

REFORMS DERAILED

• Almost two years since the ministry announced plans to study the feasibility of running bullet trains, it is still to award the contract for a “pre-feasibility” study for the Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar High Speed Rail Corridor.

• Plan to set up electric and diesel locomotive manufacturing units in Madhepura and Chhapra got stuck.

• Engineering Directorate and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp tussled over the plan to set up 100 budget hotels near railway stations.

• The ministry’s Rs 50,000 crore project—two Dedicated Freight Corridors on the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata routes—is awaiting funding from Japan and the World Bank.

• Plan to set up 26 world class railway stations across the country is stuck for want of identifying the private player for the project.

• Rail coach factory in Rae Bareli ran into trouble with the Mayawati government over land-ownership rights.

• 659 railways accidents, including 361 derailments, occurred between 2004 and 2007, killing 241, injuring 796. No heads rolled at senior levels.

REFORMS SCUTTLED

Opposed a move to have an independent regulator for the Railways, aimed at rationalising fare structures.

OPPORTUNITIES BLOWN

Lalu could not do much to improve the travelling experience. On-board catering went from bad to worse and cleanliness was lacking too.

SMART BYTE

“Indian Railways is like a Jersey cow. If you don’t milk it fully, it will fall sick.”

WHAT WAS HE THINKING?

Lalu went public backing the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and said the Railways would offer its stadiums to the rebel cricket league to host matches. Within weeks, the Railways dropped the idea.

HIGH POINT

When he became ‘Professor Lalu’, speaking to Harvard students about the Railways’ “turnaround story”.

LOW POINT

When he was refused membership of the elite IIC, ostensibly because of his indictment in some court cases.

VIEW FROM THE SHADOW

“The brunt of his actions will be borne by the ministers succeeding him.” — Nitish Kumar, former Railway minister and Bihar CM

DID HE GET YOUR VOTE?

He won from Saran (Chhapra) by 52,571 votes and lost in Patliputra by 23,541.

Why Lalu Lost:Nitish.

With JD(U)-BJP combine virtually sweeping Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the people had rejected the "negative politics" of his political adversaries Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan.  

"It is a positive vote for peace and development. People have voted us for the work we have done in Bihar. They have rejected the negative politics of Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan," Kumar told reporters here.  

Attacking the RJD and LJP leaders, he said whenever they came to Bihar, they criticised his government.  Kumar was angry over Paswan's comment on his suggestion that Bihar should get special status.   

LJP president had said that Kumar's demand was nothing but "theatrics".   

The Bihar Chief Minister said that both Paswan and Lalu were holding key portfolios at the Centre and should have ensured that the backward state got a special package as demanded by it.   

He said that now the Congress-led coalition should ensure that the state gets a special status.

Ab Pachtaye hot ka!!

It was a mistake RJD chief Lalu Prasad knew he had made — right from the day campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections began — but never admitted.

However, on the counting day on Saturday as defeat stared him in the face, he accepted his folly. "Not fighting the elections with the Congress was a big mistake. It led to division of secular votes. The votes which went to Congress in Bihar paani mein mil gaya (were wasted)," he said. 

RJD won just four seats this time compared to 22 in the 2004. However, "the sun had clearly set at noon itself" at 10, Circular Road, the official home of leader of the Opposition Rabri Devi. Early in the morning before counting began, Lalu boasted that he would prove all media predictions wrong. However, by noon it became amply clear the the RJD-LJP alliance would fare miserably. 

The gates of the house were closed for mediapersons as Lalu was closeted with Union minister Prem Chandra Gupta and RJD leader Ram Kripal Yadav. Finally, at 3.45pm, the gates were opened and Lalu was there to say that he was throwing in the towel. "I am happy that people have rejected NDA. However, I accept the fact that in Bihar the people have rejected the RJD-LJP alliance." he said.

Lantern extinguished!!

Setbacks are inevitable milestones in any political journey. Lalu Prasad has had his share of them but always managed to bounce back.

But the mauling on Saturday is no ordinary loss; it presents one of India's most charismatic politicians with an existential crisis of sorts. He has been defeated by a brand of politics that he has been dismissive of — one focused on development and better governance — since he burst on the stage in 1990.  He burst into the premier league because of two bold moves: getting V P Singh to implement the Mandal Commission report and putting L K Advani behind bars to interrupt his Ram Janmabhoomi campaign.  These decisions paved the way for the highly successful MY (Muslim-Yadav) alliance. But it also turned out to be a recipe for complacency, leading Lalu to the arrogant conclusion that he need not bother about development at all.  There were a few wake up calls, but Lalu slept through those. By the time he began to see the writing on the wall and decided to showcase himself as a performer, it was too late. The latest results point to the weakening of the caste factor and emergence of a new field which he may find difficult to adapt to. Signs of Muslims joining other categories mark a significant shrinking of his constituency. The fact that he is not in power either at the Centre or in Patna and is saddled with huge baggage may make alliance building difficult. But he needs it to avoid another defeat in the 2010 assembly polls.

End of Lalu Era?

My Last post was prophetic to say the least..

Lalu has been reduced to 4 seats from 21 MP's.

His new found ally Mr Paswan lostbhis own seat and his LJP got Zilch!!

The analysis is on!!!

Shall this be the end of Lalu Era or a start of a new chapter with a humbled Lalu working for progress of home land!!

Lalu after election.

The most colourful politician of the world is now suddenly finding himself in a difficult situation.

Despite all the talk of him retaining the numbers,insiders claim a crack in the Muslim vote by Congress and the Nitish factor.

Observers say the evident work done by Nitish in last few years have made people compare the current government with the 15 years rule of Lalu and Rabri ji.

Mid way during the poll campaign the media portrayed Lalu as angry and furious as he sensed his defeat coming?

Premature to comment but this time there is no Jinn coming out from the ballot machines surely!!

Lalu Paswan to give cabinet meeting a miss??

Union Ministers Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan are skipping the cabinet meeting here today in an apparent disapproval of what they see as overtures made by Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi to their rival in Bihar Nitish Kumar.
While key aides of the RJD and LJP chiefs downplayed the issue, there was speculation in political circles that they were unhappy over the way the Congress appears to be reaching out to the JD-U.

Asked whether Paswan is not attending the meeting because he was unhappy over Gandhi's remarks, LJP secretary general Abdul Khalik told PTI, "there is no question of boycotting the cabinet meeting. We are still in UPA and in the cabinet." "Paswan cannot attend the cabinet meeting today as his election meetings were scheduled in Kolkata where four party candidates are contesting in the last phase of polls. Moreover, there was no agenda from our ministries (Paswan's) in the cabinet meeting," he added.

He, however, acknowledged that there is unhappiness in the rank and file of LJP over Rahul's remarks adding, "His statement during elections only benefitted JD-U." Moreover, Congress candidates in Patna Sahib and Nalanda got their votes transferred to JD-U candidates after Gandhi's remarks, Khalik claimed.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi this week, Gandhi had praised the Bihar Chief Minister for his work.

Lalu:We shall win..

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and railways minister Lalu Prasad on Thursday expressed confidence that his party would perform well in the 

Lok Sabha elections in Bihar and the neighbouring state of Jharkhand.  Speaking after casting his vote, he said that RJD in alliance with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) of Ram Vilas Paswan would surprise everyone by sweeping polls.  Lalu Prasad cast his vote, along with his wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi, elder son and daughters, at a polling station near Patna Veterinary College, which falls under the Patna Saheb constituency.  There were moments of tension inside the polling booth as some photographers followed Lalu Prasad and his wife inside, ignoring the rules set down by the Election Commission. Lalu Prasad lost his cool and chased the photographers out of the booth, while every move of his was recorded by television cameras.  The RJD chief is himself contesting from Patliputra constituency, where voting is also being held Thursday. He also is contesting from Saran constituency that went to the polls April 16.  The parents of Congress candidate from Patna Saheb Shekhar Suman also came to vote. "We voted for our son," his ailing father Phanibhusan Prasad, 80 and his mother Usha Prasad said.  Shekhar Suman, along with his wife Alka Suman, said they had not voted as they were not registered as voters in the constituency. He said he was happy that his parents came out to vote. "It was a rare moment for us," he added.  His opponent and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Shatrughan Sinha would also cast his vote here later in the day.  Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar left by train to cast his vote in Bakhtiyarpur in Nalanda constituency, where JD-U's Kaushalendra Kumar - his handpicked candidate - faces the LJP's Satish Kumar.  Voting for the fourth phase of parliamentary elections in three of the 40 constituencies in Bihar began Thursday morning amid heavy security  arrangements in view of the Maoist threat. About 4.89 million voters in the three constituencies will decide the fate of the 57 candidates in the fray.

Rahul praises Nitish:Lalu Paswan angry..

With a splintered verdict looming ahead, the Congress on Tuesday opened the door to multiple choices after the Lok Sabha elections with Rahul Gandhi reaching out to not just the estranged Left but also rivals TDP and JD-U only to be summarily rebuffed by all.

The Congress general secretary, who has emerged as the most prominent face of the party, further blurred the contours of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) when his overtures to the Janata Dal-United led to furious reactions from key allies, Lalu Prasad of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Ram Vilas Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

Laying out his party's strategy in a confusing post poll scenario, Mr. Rahul Gandhi indicated at a press conference here that there would be few enemies.

He declared that the Congress would form the next government and that Manmohan Singh would be the UPA's prime minister again. But he also said the field was open for post-poll alliances.

"We will do better than last time. And I am confident that the Left will support Manmohan Singh," he announced on the last day of campaigning for Thursday's fourth leg of the Lok Sabha elections that conclude May 13.

Lalu Gyan..

In the last leg of campaigning, RJD supremo and railway minister Lalu Prasad thought it prudent to give a lesson or two to his un educated voters about how to press which button of the EVM on the polling day in the Pataliputra constituency where he is pitted against his friends-turned-foes Ranjan Prasad Yadav of JD(U) and Vijay Yadav of Congress. 

Showing a replica of EVM, he told his audience, "Machinwa ko sahi se dekhna, aur sahi se lalten par dabana, tab machinwa bolega `peeeee' aur agar nahin bola to samjho dal mein kuchh kala hai (Carefully look for the button displaying a lantern, and carefully press it, as a result of which there would be a sound of beep. If there's no sound, it means something is fishy)." 

Lantern is the poll symbol of RJD. Lalu, in his trademark rustic style, further explained to his voters, "Asli cheej laltenwa hau re bhaiyya. Okra samne neela batam anguri se dabawe ke ba. Jab batamwa dab jayi aa machinwa boli teeeee, ta vote par jayee." 

Audiences at RJD meetings and roadshows in this predominantly rural constituency appeared receptive and responsive to Lalu, the school master. As they nod to indicate they have learnt the lesson, the RJD boss cautioned the button should be pressed gently and not forcefully. 

As a parting shot, Lalu asked them not to even look for any other symbol or name and concentrate only on the lantern. "Apadhapi mein kauno doosraka batam na dab jaye iska dhyan rakhna hai (You have to ensure that you don't end up pressing someone else's button in haste)," he warned. 

Lalu, who is also contesting from Saran, addressed nearly a dozen election meetings daily and conducted roadshows in the evening for the past four days till Tuesday evening when the campaigning ended for the fourth phase of poll on May 7. 

Lalu currently represents Chhapra which has been renamed Saran after delimitation.

BJP angry on Lalu..

Lambasting RJD chief Lalu Prasad for describing the RSS as a "band of dissolute persons", BJP minority cell chairman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain on Saturday said the diatribe was the outcome of his "frustration".

"Everybody knows that RSS is an apolitical cultural organisation working for nation building," Mr. Hussain, the lone Muslim BJP MP in the 14th Lok Sabha, told reporters here.

"Prasad's statement against RSS was the outcome of his frustration as he knew there was a wave in favour of NDA in Bihar. The RJD-LJP combine would lick the dust at the hustings," he said.

"I cannot use the same language to criticise him for making such derogatory remarks against a nationalist organisation," Mr. Hussain said.

Claiming that the performance of NDA in Bihar would be much better this time and would contribute in making L K Advani the prime minister. He also claimed that a large number minorities had voted for NDA candidates particularly in Bhagalpur, Darbhanga and East Champaran Constituencies.

Lalu Paswan show there muscles...

It was a North Indian show of strength in Mumbai. Railway Minister and leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Lalu Prasad and Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) leader and Union Chemical and Fertilizers Minister Ram Vilas Paswan called upon voters on Friday to support their secular alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

Addressing a rally in support of the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from North West Mumbai Abu Asim Azmi in Jogeshwari, as well as the alliance candidates from Maharashtra, both leaders slammed the “communal politics” of the BJP. Mr. Paswan said while his party was trying to improve the lot of the poor, others were trying to divide the country and beating up poor migrants who came to the city for jobs.

He said BJP leader L.K. Advani had a hand in destroying the Babri Masjid and he did nothing when the Gujarat riots took place. Why did the BJP not build a temple when it was in power? The country had space for all kinds of communities. He referred to the Malegaon blast case and said that sadhvis were now involved in such matters.

Mr. Prasad said North India was the heart of India and the three parties — the Samajwadi Party, the RJD and the LJP — had come together to end communalism, despite attempts to keep them apart.

He referred to the BJP as the Bharat Jalao Party and said Varun Gandhi was not alone in his thinking. The RSS and the BJP also held the same views.

There was no way Mr. Advani would become Prime Minister, he asserted. Where was the NDA, Mr. Prasad asked. Most of its constituents had left the alliance.

About Raj Thackeray and his followers, he said everyone had a right to earn his livelihood anywhere in the country. North Indians must not be afraid to go anywhere for their survival. After Mr. Azmi’s victory, he would come to Mumbai to celebrate the Chhat Puja which had created a lot of controversy last year, he said.

Room for left??

RJD chief Lalu Prasad today said no single party would be able to form a government after the Lok Sabha polls and once again reached out to the Left, saying the door for them was always open.
"The era of coalition governments is here to stay for long and we want the Left and secular forces to come together. The door for the Left is always open," he told a press conference here.

Asked to comment on CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury's statement that the Left was not averse to aligning with even the JD(U) after the polls, Lalu retorted, "do you (the media) think that the Left will join forces with the communal parties. Nitish Kumar (Bihar chief minister) is sitting in the lap of communal BJP. The Left will never allow the communal forces to come to power." On AICC general secretary Gulam Nabi Azad's statement that it was a "big mistake" on the part of the Congress to have aligned with regional parties in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Lalu said, "RJD is a national party and all should know that. The Congress virtually has no existence in the two states." "The Congress should have tried to stand on its own legs in UP and Bihar much earlier. We apologise to the people for the big mistake. The party will not be left at the mercy of regional parties," Azad had said yesterday.

Lalu meets old Friend's.

The hands he had held once are now raising against him but RJD supremo Lalu Prasad seems unruffled about the battle against friends-turned-foes Ranjan Prasad Yadav of the JD(U) and Congress nominee Vijay Singh Yadav from Pataliputra.     

"I relied on him (Ranjan) but he betrayed my trust. I gave him the charge to improve the face of universities and higher educational institutions but he was a miserable failure.... Ranjan will be politically destroyed," Lalu said. Ranjan, a retired reader at Patna Science College, was once considered an alter ego of Lalu who had sent him to the Rajya Sabha twice in 1990 and 1996.

But Ranjan quit the RJD in 1998 after he had failed to persuade Lalu to replace Rabri Devi with him as the Chief Minister. The former RJD leader joined the LJP but again switched loyalty to JD(U) after its chief Ramvilas Paswan and Lalu joined hands for the polls.      Similarly, current Congress contender Vijay Singh Yadav was elected to the Rajya Sabha because of Lalu's support.     

Now a staunch critic of the RJD strongman, Ranjan is banking on development work of Nitish Kumar, making the polls seem a contest between Kumar and Lalu. But the RJD chief is unperturbed in the run-up to election on May 7. "This (the propaganda that voters are impressed with Kumar's development work) is nothing but a political conspiracy to influence voters," he said, asserting that the RJD-LJP-SP alliance would sweep the polls.

Nevertheless, Lalu is campaigning here vigourously and is addressing as many as 11-12 meetings a day. However, Ranjan feels he would dent Lalu's support base of Yadava and minority voters apart from getting support of an overwhelming majority of upper castes which has been voting for the NDA since the 1990s when reservation for the socially weaker sections was dramatically hiked.     

On his part, Nitish Kumar too seems to be serious about a victory of the party's candidate here as he is touring every nook and cranny of the constituency, where the contest is expected to witness a photo-finish. On his campaign trail, the Chief Minister described Lalu, who was invited by B-schools abroad to deliver lectures on the turnaround of Indian Railways, as a "mismanagement guru" and asked the people to "bolt the gates to keep Lalu out of Parliament for a better Bihar under NDA".     

Congress' Vijay Singh Yadav, the once self-styled lieutenant of Lalu, is desperately trying to make the contest a triangular one. He claims sizeable support from his community. Besides, he feels Muslims and upper castes too have veered towards his party after it broke ties with RJD-LJP.

There are 16 candidates in fray in Pataliputra. Pataliputra is a predominantly rural constituency, formed by redrawing the erstwhile Patna Lok Sabha seat. Of 15.26 lakh voters in the constituency, Yadavas account for over 5.5 lakh, followed by Bhumihars (about 2.5 lakh), Muslims (1.5 lakh), Vaishyas (around 3 lakh) and Brahmins (one lakh).

Rahul Raj's Father with Lalu..

Apart from 26/11 another major issue that rocked Mumbai last year was the anti-migrant violence. Now one man is hoping to take revenge for his loss. Kundan Singh lost his son Rahul Raj and he is campaigning for the Lalu-Paswan duo shouting slogans against the Shiv Sena.

Rahul Raj was a victim of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS) hate politics. He was shot to death by cops in a Mumbai bus six months ago. Far away in his homeland, Bihar, his distressed father is campaigning against those he holds responsible for his son's death.

Kundan Singh is on a mission to not let his son's killing fade from people's memory. His prime targets are NCP candidates contesting from various constituencies in Bihar and he tours every such constituency on his own.

"I appeal to the public to give the answer to the bullets that killed Rahul through the ballot. The Bihar politicians who are in alliances with Raj Thackeray and Bal Thackeray  have no moral right to appeal for votes in this state," Kundan Singh said in his campaign.

"Don't vote for the Maharashtra candidate. This was Rahul's wish and as his father, I am fulfilling it," Kundan Singh added.

Kundan Singh is also not sparing the BJP-JD(U) combine either because of the Shiv Sena  connection. For the Lalu-Paswan combine though, Singh has become the new poster boy.

"No one should vote for these people. They shot Rahul Raj who was from Patna," RJD leader Lalu Prasad was heard saying at a campaign rally.

However, what Kundan Singh seems to be forgetting is the fact that Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan paid nothing more than lip service to the North Indian cause after Rahul Raj was gunned down in broad daylight.