Patna, Aug 17 (IANS) Critics think Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad is deceiving himself by thinking he can be Bihar’s chief minister again.
‘It is nothing but daydreaming,’ Congress spokesperson Prem Chand Mishra said.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sanay Maukh added: ‘It is useless for Lalu and (Ramvilas) Paswan to think of coming to power. It is impossible.’
Their comments followed an announcement by RJD and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) of a seat-sharing tie-up for assembly elections and the decision to project Lalu Prasad as the combine’s chief ministerial candidate.
Paswan added LJP state president Pasupati Kumar Paras would be the nominee for deputy chief minister’s post. Paras is Paswar’s younger brother.
RJD state president Abdul Bari Siddiqui said Lalu Prasad was the best bet to take on the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Janata Dal-U state president Vijay Choudhary said people would reject the projection of Lalu Prasad as chief minister after what he did to the state for 15 long years.
‘People have experienced Lalu and his wife Rabri Devi from 1990 to 2005, and it turned out to be jungle raj,’ he said.
On the streets and elsewhere, the opinion differs.
Businessman Ashok Singh said that the return of Lalu Prasad, now a Lok Sabha member, to the state’s electoral politics would add colour to the coming polls.
‘Now it would not be an easy task for Nitish Kumar,’ the upper caste Bhumihar said.
Chandrasekhar Rai, a milk man, said the coming elections would be different.
‘Lalu’s candidature will unite the backward classes including Yadavs, Muslims, Dalits and upper castes particularly Rajputs,’ Rai said.
But Mahesh Mahto, a self-employed man, said Nitish Kumar would have electoral advantage because of Lalu Prasad’s participation.
‘Nitish Kumar has a clear-cut advantage over Lalu Prasad as far as development issues matter,’ he said.
