Sacrifice for CM can hurt Council aspirants

With the tenure of chief minister Nitish Kumar in the state legislative council ending next year, speculation is rife in the JD(U) that he might want to get into the Assembly instead of seeking another six years’ tenure in the Council. A JD(U) MLA would have to sacrifice his seat for the chief minister in that case. Winning is not a problem for Nitish. The problem is whoever offers his seat will have to be accommodated in the Council. It could be a difficult proposition with several aspirants eyeing the Council seats,” a JD(U) leader said. Besides Nitish, the list of persons who have to seek an extension in the Council includes deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, agriculture minister Narendra Singh and panchayati raj minister Bhim Singh. “It is quite a top-heavy exercise,” one of the JD(U) aspirants said.

Sadistic pleasure

The lift snag in Raj Bhavan has drawn sadistic remarks from the NDA leaders. “The government should issue a global tender for a new lift in Raj Bhavan,” a senior JD(U) minister said, stressing that it would ensure the Raj Bhavan gets a new lift more than a year after. A BJP leader said: “It serves him (Governor Devanand Konwar) right. A defunct lift for a defunct governor.” Some of the Congress leaders having obvious sympathy for the Raj Bhavan were critical about the raw deal given to the Bihar governor. “The resentment is because there is an impression that he (the governor) is not physically fit. The governor is capable of moving up and down the staircase,” a Congress leader said.

Film with eye on politics

A poster campaign involving a Paswan is on the cards in Patna. Nope, it is not LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan. It is his son Chirag Paswan, whose first film would be released soon (it has been due for over two years and there are sceptics who questioned if he had really acted in the film). After the LJP chief, Chirag and the rest of the family went to All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi to present her a CD of the film, posters have begun to appear in Patna. “It must be the first time that Bihar specific posters have been made for any film,” a senior politician said, stressing that the film is likely to be used for the “second launching” of Chirag in the world of politics. “His first venture into politics - during the last Lok Sabha and Assembly polls - proved to be a disaster as even his father lost,” a senior politician said, wondering if Chirag’s film would have any impact on his political career.

Bihar to miss Lalu on Chhath

Something will be missing this Chhath. The RJD chief, Lalu Prasad, and his wife Rabri Devi had become a permanent fixture of Chhath festival in the state capital for almost two decades. Reporters visiting the house of the couple had almost become a ritual. According to the RJD sources, both Lalu and Rabri are likely to spend Chhath in Delhi this year because of health concern of a family member. “Its almost like taking Golghar out of Patna,” a reporter said, stressing that the couple would be missed.