Emergency joke on Misa popular in political circles
A joke on Misa Bharati, the daughter of RJD chief Lalu Prasad named after the much-criticised Maintenance of Internal Security Act (Misa) invoked during the Emergency to send leaders behind bars, has become popular in political circles. According to it, her entry always triggers Emergency-like situation. Her entry into the Lok Sabha polls led to an Emergency-like situation in the RJD and prompted the exit of Ram Kripal Yadav from the party,” said a leader. Misa, the eldest daughter of Lalu, was born when the Emergency was imposed on the country. A supporter of “Chacha (uncle)” Ram Kripal claimed that Bharati might create an Emergency-like situation in the Pataliputra constituency if she wins. “A case for violation of code of conduct was slapped against her the very first day she went to campaign,” a BJP leader said gleefully.Patel cries foul on party democracy
Transport minister Brishen Patel is an angry man after being denied ticket by the JD(U) from Vaishali. In a workers’ meeting in Hajipur on Wednesday, he declared that there was no internal democracy in the JD(U). He said it was the only party without a parliamentary board. He asserted that he would continue to voice the wrong policies of the JD(U) but would not quit the party. The JD(U) is weary of ministers’ resignation after Praveen Amanullah and Renu Kushwaha put in their papers. “We cannot afford to have yet another minister quitting the ministry at this period, especially a Kurmi - the caste to which Nitish belongs,” said a senior JD(U) leader. Little wonder then, the state party chief, Bashishtha Narayan Singh, expressed hope that the minister would not do anything to harm the party. The octogenarian former chief minister of Bihar, Satish Kumar, has switched sides barely a couple of months after joining the BJP. Accusing the BJP of ignoring the Kushwaha caste in distribution of tickets, he decided to support the RJD chief, Lalu Prasad. The BJP appears unperturbed over his move. “After the tickets are distributed, no party bothers who comes and who leaves. Satish Babu is visible on paper only when elections are around. We have decided to repose faith in Upendra Kushwaha — a young force — to woo the community instead of banking on a spent force like Satish Kumar,” said a BJP leader.Diverse definition of spoilers
The BJP appears rattled over the fact that the JD(U) has not given adequate representation to the Muslims. Former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi accused the JD(U) of fielding “vote katwas (spoilers)” to help the Congress and defeat the BJP candidates. In a triangular contest, the candidate finishing second would always term the third a “vote katwa”. “So, the vote katwa tag may change in every constituency,” mused a JD(U) leader.
