New entrant fails to change fortunes
The RJD leaders appeared both amused and frustrated at the sight of former MP Prabhunath Singh holding the centre stage at the party meeting at 10 Circular Road last Saturday. When Prabhunath was with Nitish Kumar, Laluji and he hated each other so much that they would not see eye to eye. The choicest charges were hurled at each other. But look now. Prabhunath is speaking and Lalu is listening to him as if it is a sermon from God,” said a senior RJD leader. The RJD leaders recalled that when Prabhunath joined Lalu in Chhapra before the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the former JD(U) MP had announced that his friendship with Lalu was made with such a glue that they would stick to each other for life. “We hope that the glue has weakened over a period of time,” said another RJD leader, declaring that the inclusion of Prabhunath had not helped the party revive its fortune. Expensive SUVs with ignboards flaunting designations of owners in the ruling alliance on top of number plates have resurfaced on streets. “They flash their association with the ruling alliance on their SUVs as if they are inisters or IAS officers,” said a JD(U) leader, recalling that in the initial days, the party had issued an order asking all its leaders not to display their positions in a brazen manner on their vehicles. “But several office-bearers are violating the directive,” the leader said. During the Lalu-Rabri era, even esignations like block-level general secretary were prominently isplayed on vehicles. We appear to be going back to that era,” a vehicle owner said. A minister spotted nomalies in files related to subsidy given to a articular sector and asked the officials oncerned to start a probe into the issue. But the officers told him that the scheme had the pproval of his seniors. The minister was peechless. “The minister chickened out. Most ministers face the same problem. Ministers who want to do a particular work on the request of MLAs have even stopped receiving phone calls because they are helpless,” said a BJP MLA, recalling that most officials knew who they have to please. “It is certainly not their inister,” he added. Good times have returned for Bihar legislators. Funds (Rs 1 crore) for the development of their constituencies have been restored. When chief minister Nitish Kumar withdrew it, there was a resistance from a few MLAs. But most legislators hailed Nitish’s decision, declaring that the Rs 1 crore “corrupted political workers” and it was a fund that defamed most legislators because of the alleged kickbacks. “But now that it has been restored, the pertinent question is why it was withdrawn in the first place and if the vices of this fund have been wiped out,” wondered a BJP MLA, adding that the question should be asked to the chief minister.
Saturday, 24 May 2025
