He appears both composed and confident. I ask him if he has had any meeting with Sonia Gandhi. He appears amused by the question. Anybody in his position, I argued, would shake hands with the enemy’s enemy. If he wanted to combat the NDA, what is the harm in joining hands with the UPA?

But Babulal Marandi remains unmoved. He can break bread with neither the BJP nor the Congress, he declares once again. In both the national parties, he explains, he would be expected to keep Ahmed Patels and Sanjay Joshis in good humour. “I simply cannot do it,” he added firmly.

I find it difficult to believe that he has made no attempt to get the support of the Congress against the BJP. Surely BJP will pull out all the stops to ensure that he loses at Koderma next month ? BJP would in fact welcome any other candidate than Marandi regain the seat, even if that means a loss to BJP’s own candidate. The Congress cannot boast of a single leader in Jharkhand with a mass base beyond his individual constituency and if Marandi joins the party or if his Jharkhand Vikas Morcha becomes a part of the United Progressive Alliance, it would surely strengthen the alliance ?

But neither Babulal nor leaders in the UPA buy the logic. Babulal is more forthright. National parties, he maintains, cannot do much good to the small state because they will always be guided by compulsions of national politics. Leaders in the state will always play second fiddle and what is important for the state will receive little attention or priority in New Delhi. What’s more, he reasons, Jharkhand is too small a state to provide space for both the national parties. One of the two, he is convinced, will finally crumble. But he wouldn’t hazard a guess about which one.

The small state, similarly, can afford to have one strong, regional party but not half a dozen small outfits. “Therefore, either Jharkhand Mukti Morcha will emerge as a strong political force or, I hope, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha will throw up an alternative,” he says without mincing words. One of the two, he is certain again, will have to give way to the other.

The reasons for the UPA not courting Marandi are more complex. It is pointed out that Babulal, till recently, has been with the “communal” BJP. But if the Congress could accept Sanjay Nirupam from the equally “communal” Shiva Sena, there is little reason for warding off Marandi on this ground. Some UPA leaders point out that Shibu Soren does not like Babulal and Guruji will never allow him to join the UPA, ostensibly because he would then block the chances of Soren’s two sons, both with political ambitions. But it is doubtful if Durga and Hemant Soren can match Marandi’s image, organising and administrative skill, experience and understanding of the state. In politics, moreover, there are no permanent friends or enemy –which is why it appears unbelievable that no attempt has been made to bring Soren and Marandi together.

But then Marandi gives the impression of being his own Boss. He is unlikely to suffer fools gladly or kowtow to every self-made leader in New Delhi.

And that is precisely why one wonders if stands any chance of winning in Koderma next month. Men like Marandi find little or no acceptance in political parties and the next few weeks, it is going to be a David versus Goliath battle. An individual pitted against four established political groups. Babulal Marandi versus the National Democratic Alliance, the United Progressive Alliance, the All Jharkhand Students’ Union and the CPI( ML).

Did anyone say it is an uneven battle? Whatever it is, one must admire Babulal Marandi’s courage in taking on the traditional political forces in the state. By taking the bull by its horns, he has made it a battle between status quo and change.

With every party gunning for him, does he stand a chance? I, for one, hope he wins. Not just because he is the underdog but because somebody must call the bluff of the big brothers. With the BJP, Congress and JMM, traditionally having cornered 70 to 80 per cent of the valid votes in the past, and with caste and community considerations allegedly being important, it is going to be an uphill task for him. But if he wins, it will still be a turning point and provide a fresh direction to politics in the state.

Meanwhile, Lalu Prasad is having the last laugh, thanks to the “jokers in Jharkhand”. Everybody, starting from Shibu Soren to Madhu Koda, are bending backwards to consult him. There is little doubt that he is the Boss and clearly, he is enjoying calling the shots.

After having opposed the creation of Jharkhand and declaring that it would be created over his dead body, Lalu Prasad has found it convenient to run the puppet show in Ranchi with the strings firmly in his hand.