Dal realises fodder blues

The JDU has slowly started realising the disadvantages of being with Lalu Prasad.

There was uproar in the Nitish camp recently over the Jitan Ram Manjhi government's decision to rename Darbhanga Engineering College after former chief minister Jagannath Mishra. JDU MLA Arun Manjhi lambasted the government for not naming the college after Dalit icon Bhim Rao Ambedkar. "The government has named the institution after a man convicted in the fodder scam," he said, only to be nudged by a former minister sitting beside him. "Don't utter anything about the fodder scam. Else, we shall have to answer why we are taking the support of Lalu - another fodder scam convict," said the former minister, reminding the MLA that both Lalu and Mishra had been convicted in the same case last year. The BJP camp smiled. "Well, at least the JDU has started to learn a few disadvantages about aligning with Laluji," said a BJP MLA.

Mock fight

When JDU leader and former minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary came out of the Speaker's chamber on Monday, he threatened to go to the court for not being declared the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly. When asked if the Speaker was under pressure, Chaudhary defended the former and blamed BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav for the delay. "This is a mock fight meant for the public. But mock fights do not last long," said a BJP leader.

Lovebirds hurt

Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's statement that 90 per cent of Bihari males travel with wives of others has prompted political leaders asking each other if they belonged to the 10 per cent or the 90 per cent. Women are also hurt over his remark. The chief minister is reported to have made the statement when asked about the alleged extra-marital fling of his son, who created a scene in a hotel in Gaya last year. "In the process, the chief minister cited Patna Biological Park and Eco Park (in picture) as the favourite joints of lovebirds in Patna. It appears that the lovebirds have also been caught in the political crossfire," said a Congress leader, stressing that several political leaders had extra-marital relationship.

Calls flood MLAs

The JDU MLAs are under heavy scrutiny these days. "Everyday I get calls from numerous leaders enquiring what I am doing and where am I," said a Nitish loyalist MLA. A JDU MLA from Aurangabad district claimed that he was getting six calls everyday on his cellphone, asking him about his whereabouts. "If that is not enough, leaders come home on the pretext of having tea or gossiping. Nobody bothered to give me a call when everything was smooth," he said. The joke doing the rounds among the Nitish supporters is that even Jitan Ram Manjhi aides are busy calling up MLAs. "Just to please Manjhi, they are dialling anyone and claiming that they are talking to the JDU MLAs and asking them to cross over," said another JDU MLA.