RJD chief Lalu Prasad kicked off his yatra for central universities in Motihari and Gaya from Bettiah (West Champaran), triggering speculation that he was following the path of chief minister Nitish Kumar for rich political dividends. Nitish usually begins his campaigns from Bhitarharwa Ashram — the home of Mahatma Gandhi during his stay in Champaran in the pre-Independence era — because he gained politically each time he did so.
'If the purpose of Laluji’s yatra is to demand central universities in Motihari and Gaya, he should have kicked off his yatra from Motihari in East Champaran. But he chose to start from Bettiah hoping that it would pay rich political dividends,” said a seasoned politician, stressing that Lalu should also have started from Gandhi’s ashram. “If he is so superstitious, he should have gone all the way,” the politician said.
Three of the four RJD MPs playing truant in functions hosted by the party has become a regular affair. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Jagdanand Singh and Uma Shankar Singh were absent in the birthday bash of Lalu Prasad, the other MP of the RJD, organised by the party at 10 Circular Road on Monday. Earlier, the trio stayed way from the national executive meet of the party. Raghuvansh, known as Brahm Baba in the party, has been issuing statements expressing his unhappiness over the functioning of the party. Uma Shankar has been openly stating his preference for the Congress. “But the main worry is Jagdanand Singh, who stood by Laluji even in the most troubled times. Jagdanandji is upset over the family affair in the party,” said a senior RJD leader. If rumourmongers are to be believed, a showroom of an expensive car in Patna belongs to a minister in the Nitish cabinet. There is whispering among the minister's adversaries - both within and outside his party - that the cost of the project runs in crores and the minister invested his ill-gotten money in it. “With private investment from outside coming in trickles, any investment is welcome, never mind if the minister invested his ill-gotten money in Bihar. Several officers of the state invest their ill-gotten money in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and other places. At least one person is bold enough to invest in his own state,” said a senior BJP leader. Old habits die hard. When former chief minister Rabri Devi was elected to the Bihar State Legislative Council, everybody presumed the council would install a telephone immediately at her 10 Circular Road house. But when no connection was provided to her even after a month, a leader of the RJD asked an official of the council for the reason. The official told the leader that Rabri would have to apply for the connection. “When Rabri became a member of the same House for the first time, its officials rushed to her house to install telephone and other facilities. But then she was the chief minister and did not need the telephone,” recalled an RJD leader, adding that officials act depending on how important a person was.
