The Manorama effect on Nitish

Chief minister Nitish Kumar must have been the happiest person when suspended JDU MLC Manorama Devi surrendered in Gaya on Tuesday. The fugitive lawmaker's disappearance was haunting him.

Nitish recalled that at a media meet, a lady journalist kept asking him a question. It took him a while to comprehend what she was saying. "I realised that she was asking where is Manorama Devi. I wanted to say she is with me in my car. I told the journalist I do not know because I do not control the lady MLC," Nitish said. In fact, Manorama's surrender appears to have restored the "fighting spirit" in the JDU, as its leaders are giving back as good as they get on jungle raj barbs from the Opposition and depicting Manorama's surrender in court as proof of Nitish's "enforcement of the rule of law".

Durbar heat

Officials as well as petitioners have been feeling the heat at the chief minister's janata durbar at 1 Aney Marg. An official recalled that a year ago, the venue, covered by tinned sheets, was cool even in summer. Another official recalled that last year the tinned roof was covered with hay but that had to be removed because a fire broke out. "I hope the janata durbar is deferred till September," said another senior official.

Forgotten date

At a recent socialists' unity meet in Patna, the delegates missed an important year as the history of the socialist movement in India was read out. Power minister and old socialist war horse Bijendra Prasad Yadav asked the organiser how they missed out 1967, when socialists were able to form non-Congress governments in several states including Bihar. Realising their error, the organisers asked the minister to come onstage. He refused to do so but aired his frustration over the lapse. "The newfound love for the Congress appears to have made the socialists miss out the important year. After all, the then Jan Sangh (later BJP) was part of the government," said another leader.

Brothers in arms

Though the RJD and JDU are allies now, comparisons between Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar keep cropping up. The latest was at the aforementioned socialist meet where Hind Majdoor Sabha general secretary Haribhajan Singh Sidhu praised Nitish as one of the best railway ministers India ever had. "It was during his tenure that toilets in locomotive engines for drivers was planned, as also ways to make the journey for guards more comfortable. I won't talk about what happened after Nitish's exit as railway minister, as the man who succeeded him (Lalu) is now sharing power with Nitish," Singh said. Nitish, who was present at the meeting, smiled. A JDU leader remarked: "But we have been comparing developments in Bihar keeping 2005 as the break-off year, the year Nitish took over from Lalu."

Saying it too soon

RJD chief Lalu Prasad found himself in an embarrassing situation on the day two journalists were killed - one in Bihar and the other in Jharkhand. The Jharkhand murder took place during the morning and Lalu was quick to demand President's rule in Jharkhand stressing that there was a complete breakdown of law and order in the state. Lalu had gone to Jharkhand to campaign for his candidates in the bypolls. However, when a journalist approached him after the Siwan murder, the RJD chief did a disappearing act.