‘Strange’ shelter for former cine star

Congress MP Raj Babbar reportedly ended up sleeping in a stranger’s house when he went to Maharajganj recently for electioneering because a senior state-level leader of the party refused to vacate the hotel room booked for him.efore arriving in Bihar, Babbar had requested local Congress leaders to book a room having an attached western style toilet. Unable to find any such accommodation in Chhapra, the party leaders booked a room for Babbar in Siwan. When the actor-turned-MP finally came to Maharajganj, the Congress leaders were shocked to find a senior leader of Bihar occupying the room booked for Babbar. “The state leader refused to vacate the room even when Babbar arrived at the hotel in small hours after campaigning. Ultimately, the state party president, Ashok Choudhary, had to plead to a local doctor to allow Babbar stay in his guest room,” said a Congress leader. “It is a party where nobody listens to anyone,” he said, conceding that the episode was an embarrassment.

Sabotage attempts

Charges and counter-charges on attempts to sabotage the election prospects of official candidates are normal after any election. If the JD(U) sources are to be believed, education minister and the party candidate P.K. Shahi got into a heated exchange with a ministerial colleague alleging that the latter worked for the RJD’s Prabhunath Singh. Another minister belonging to a particular caste went to campaign for Shahi but ended up by speaking in favour of the RJD candidate. “A few leaders who accompanied Shahi during electioneering worked for his rival on the day of the election. It’s a usual practice. Leaders secretly work for their rival camps with an eye on their own political future,” said a former minister, stressing that Shahi was upset because he was contesting elections for the first time.

Trees paint party picture

The JD(U) undertook a massive tree plantation campaign two years ago with an aim to utilise its workers for a meaningful purpose but the Maharajganj bypoll was an eye-opener. “Like the trees planted, the party workers also appeared to have withered away. No worker was in sight to motivate the voters,” said a JD(U) minister.

CM draws durbar flak

The latest round of Seva Yatra by chief minister Nitish Kumar appears to be drawing flak even from the JD(U) leaders because he has done away with the practice of holding janata durbars in districts — a direct medium of communication between the masses and the chief minister. “The officials used to be at the receiving end of the people during these durbars. But it appears the officials have managed to convince the chief minister that janata durbars in districts serve no purpose,” said a senior JD(U) leader.