Lalu calling Gujarat voters

• Addressing the RJD's national council recently, party chief Lalu Prasad sent a message to the Yadavs in Gujarat. "Defeat Narendra Modi," he told them while addressing the electronic media. "But Yadavs are a fringe player in Gujarat," a senior RJD leader sitting next to him reminded. Unfazed, Lalu went on to say: "I appeal to all diamond cutters, minorities and weavers not to vote for the BJP." BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi has already taken jabs at Lalu, for talking of defeating the BJP in Gujarat while sitting in Patna. "Even in 2012, Lalu's campaign for the Congress candidates did not help. Lalu could not be his usual self as the Congress insisted on soft Hindutva," a senior RJD leader said, wondering if after Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi's lunch meeting in Delhi the Congress might be interested in fielding Tejashwi to campaign for the Congress in Gujarat Assembly elections.

Language problem

• Every time party chief Lalu Prasad holds a national council meeting, leaders from outside Bihar come to the stage and start talking in a language alien to the local RJD workers and leaders. Recently, leaders from Tamil Nadu began addressing the gathering in Tamil. Then, one leader came up and spoke in Marathi and another in Odia. RJD leaders failed to understand a word. "Laluji asks these leaders to speak in their own language. The only thing I understand is when they utter Laluji's name," said an RJD leader. "The funny thing is the faces of leaders coming from Goa, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu and other states keep changing every time."

Hardik, the unifier

• Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad seem to be in agreement over Patidar leader Hardik Patel. Despite his alliance with the BJP, Nitish declared he continued to support Hardik. On Sunday, Lalu called up Hardik and extended his support for the Gujarat election. There is speculation the JDU might contest a dozen seats there, but the BJP does not seem to be worried. "There is no support for either leader," said a BJP leader. "They are trying to make an entry in Gujarat via Hardik but they will be disappointed," he said.

RJD and cows

• Lalu's remarks that people have begun to fear cows has evoked interesting reactions from motorists. "Whenever Laluji is in power, cows hold the roads and we fear them, because the cow owner is always wielding a lathi (stick)," said a car driver who recalled the spread of khatals (cowsheds) during the Lalu era. "When Laluji is out of power, the cows disappear from the roads and so does our fear," the driver said. Of course, traffic is no better even without the cows, he added.