Patna,(BiharTimes): Whether Lalu Prasad will end up becoming a kingmaker or will he be compelled to play second fiddle to Nitish Kumar in the changed post-fodder scam verdict scenario?
This question will continue to haunt the Bihar politics in the run-up to the Assembly election as it would be the first time in 25 years that there would be no Yadav candidate in the race for the post of chief minister in Bihar––the BJP too may not name any from this caste.
Anyway RJD chief Lalu Prasad, while giving interviews to different television channels, is repeatedly harping on the fact as to how Yadavs have in the past helped non-Yadav candidates of the Socialist background win.
He cited as to how Karpoori Thakur defeated a strong Yadav Congress leader from Yadav dominated Assembly constituency in north Bihar in the heydays of virtually one-party rule.
In another interview Lalu said as to how he and Nitish helped end the prolong Yadav-Kurmi bloody feud in parts of the then central Bihar. He even narrated as to how Patel Chatrawas, a hostel of Kurmis near Musallahpur in Patna became the stronghold of the backward caste movement.
He even recalled as to how Nitish was supported by Yadavs in Barh which compelled the powerful Yadav leader of Congress, Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav, to shift to Ara.
Thus, the RJD chief is busy removing the misgivings that Yadavs only support their castemen and that they would not support the JD(U)-RJD combine candidate, Nitish Kumar, because he is a Kurmi.
Lalu may be right in his assessment. But while saying so he had revealed his weakness, even though the fact is that Yadav as well as Dalit votes are much sought after in the coming Assembly election.
Convicted Lalu has, in a way, conceded that his own position, though he still hopes that a Jayalalithaa type court verdict in his favour.