New Delhi/Patna, July 12: Lalu Prasad’s desperate attempts to get a political perch by making it to the UPA-II cabinet were dashed today as his name didn’t find a place in the ministerial list.
Triggered off by the meeting between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Lalu Prasad on July 5, there was a buzz within the RJD and also outside that the Bihar leader would be included in the Manmohan Singh cabinet in today’s shuffle. The RJD leader had skipped the foundation day celebrations of his party in Patna to meet Sonia.
RJD sources confirmed that Lalu Prasad had used the pretext of taking up the Forbesganj police firing to build bridges with Sonia. The Congress chief, however, neither assured nor rejected his plea during the meeting, they said.
This had led to hope, though suppressed, in RJD circles that their leader stood a comeback chance. Leaders close to Lalu were heard arguing how he could prove useful for the UPA in this hour of crisis. “Lalu has the gift of the gab. He can effectively defend the government facing attacks from social activists like Anna Hazare and Ramdev,” said a senior RJD leader.
The meeting with Sonia made some UPA allies, particularly Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, curious. Mamata, sources said, called finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to enquire about the meeting. Mukherjee, however, assured Mamata that the Bihar leader stood no chance.
Lalu Prasad, however, continued to be optimistic and was camping in Delhi since the meeting. Today he remained closeted in his 25 Tughlak Road residence throughout the day and refused to meet journalists.
The Bihar RJD put up a brave face. “It (the speculation) was only in the media. We are supporting the UPA-II government from outside. There was neither any talk about Laluji’s inclusion in the ministry nor did we ask for a berth,” said RJD MP Ram Kripal Yadav. RJD sources though expressed disappointment over Lalu Prasad’s continued isolation. “By being a union minister, one gets the leverage to combat the propaganda of the state government. In the UPA-I regime, we had Laluji, Raghuvansh Prasad, Ram Vilas Paswan and a few others to take on the challenge of Nitish Kumar. But today there are no union ministers from Bihar,” said a senior RJD leader.
The Congress camp in Bihar appeared relieved. “Lalu’s entry into the ministry was the figment of someone’s imagination. Irrespective of the results of the last Assembly polls, the party will go alone in Bihar,” said Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra.
The taunts from the NDA are on. “There are just four MPs of the RJD to carry the arthi (dead body) of the party. But Laluji never gives up hope,” said deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.
Sources close to Lalu Prasad said his hopes of getting a cabinet berth might have been dashed but his effort to improve relations with the Congress are on track. He now wants to re-clinch an alliance with the Congress for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, in the hope of staging a political comeback.
