After briefly disappearing from Bihar’ politics in the early run-up to the Assembly polls, former chief minister Rabri Devi of the RJD made a comeback on Monday when her husband and party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav announced that she would contest in two Assembly constituencies.
Ending widespread speculations that the RJD had chosen to keep its unimpressive leader mostly in the background except perhaps putting her for campaign at a few, selected constituencies, Mr Yadav made it clear that his better half would contest in two constituencies — Raghopur and Sonepur — instead of none. Devi currently represents the Raghopur constituency located on the banks of the Ganges near Patna.
Devi’s virtual disappearance from the RJD’s electoral strategy all through September had attracted biting criticism from the ruling NDA, especially the BJP that had repeatedly said the RJD had “returned her into her veils” so as to prevent a renewed public scrutiny of her dismal two-term tenure as chief minister. Her sudden emergence on the electoral scene from the enlarged shadows of her husband would put an end to such attacks as the campaigns gather momentum for the Assembly polls beginning on October 21.
“We are not coming to power through the back door. Rabri Devi would contest the elections because many of our MLAs and leaders requested her to contest,” said Mr Yadav on Monday. By repeating his newfound favourite phrase the “back door,” Yadav obliquely attacked chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who have been a member of the Bihar Legislative Council throughout their current terms.
To bolster his claim that it was the requests from his party’s leaders that led to Devi’s decision to contest in two constituencies, Mr Yadav presented the sitting RJD legislator from Sonepur, Ramanuj Prasad, before journalists.
Prasad himself said as much, but his tone suggested he was not comfortable with having to let go of his own political prospects for the time being.
RJD sources said if Devi managed to win both the seats, one of them could be gainfully used to get Yadav elected in the event of the RJD forming a government. Mr Yadav himself has decided not to contest from any constituency. Known for her off-the-mark comments during campaigns often leading to controversies, Rabri Devi would inject a quaintly fresh dimension to electioneering in Bihar.
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Cong releases 3rd Bihar list
Age Correspondent
New Delhi
Oct. 4 : Former Speaker Sadanand Singh and Dr Ashok Ram figured in a list of the Congress nominees for the Bihar Assembly polls released here on Monday.
The party released the third list of 42 candidates. While Mr Singh will contest from Kahalgaon, Ashok Ram will fight from Agioan seat.