Lalu Prasad addresses a meeting at 10 Circular Road in Patna on Tuesday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Feb. 25: The RJD chief, Lalu Prasad, today regained his political persona when he walked with his party MLAs protesting against chief minister Nitish Kumar and Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary for their alleged attempt to break his party.

After a meeting at 10 Circular Road, Lalu announced he would walk to the Bihar Legislature Building and then to the Governor’s House protesting against the alleged state government’s bid to split his party. Sporting kurta-pyjama and a sneaker, Lalu started his march at 2.10pm.

It was not a normal walk. He was roaring like lion with RJD MPs, MLAs, MLCs and supporters marching with him.

Lalu gave slogans like “RJD jaag gaya, Nitish, Uday bhaag gaya” (RJD has woken up, Nitish has fled). His supporters clapped and echoed him louder.

Lalu’s first destination was Desh Ratna Marg, the official residence of the Speaker. He pointed towards Choudhary’s house and screamed: “Uday Narayan Chaudhary bahar niklo, tumne dhoka kiya hai (Uday Narayan Chaudhary come out, you have cheated us).”

Buoyed by Lalu’s enthusiasm, Jagdishpur MLA Dinesh Kumar Singh threw a stone at the house of Chaudhary. Some RJD supporters followed his footstep, compelling a few Chaudhary’s staff — watching Lalu from the rooftop of the Speaker’s house — flee.

After a while, Lalu reached Strand Road giving slogans against Nitish and Choudhary. He started walking faster despite sweating, prompting others to take bigger strides. Every 10 minutes, the RJD boss wiped his sweat with a small towel.

While crossing the Eco Park, Lalu again shouted slogans and entered Kranti Marg, leading to the legislature building. Several passers-by joined him in the march. When he reached the legislature building at 2.52pm covering a distance of 2km, around a thousand of people were behind him.

After seven years, Lalu entered the premises of the legislature building. Looking at it, he said: “Look at my Assembly, what these people have done to it. Now, I shall have come and set things right.”

Marshal of the Assembly Captain B.P. Sinha came running out from the portico and touched his feet. “Oh Laluji! After so many years you have come to this place,” said Singh, who had marshalled out Lalu more than six times when he was an MLA.

Lalu looked at the staff of the Assembly and said: “Are people OK over here or having some problems? My fight has just begun and I shall change everything by throwing out Nitish from the chair of the chief minister.”

He then entered the chamber of Assembly secretary Phool Jha to submit the application of nine MLAs. From his chamber, Lalu called the governor and sought his permission to meet him to submit a memorandum against the Nitish government.

The meeting with the secretary lasted for almost an hour and Lalu came out at 4.01pm.

Walking out of the legislature building, Lalu decided to go the Governor’s House on a rickshaw. Amarjeet Ram, a rickshaw-puller from the Gardanibagh area, was summoned.

To gain the maximum mileage, he chose to take the busy Bailey Road route. Throughout his journey from the legislative building to the Governor’s House, Lalu kept on shouting slogans. At 4.58pm, he reached the Governor’s House, just in front of the chief minister’s bungalow.

His meeting with the governor lasted for almost an hour and he came out at 5.55pm. Soon after, Ram — the rickshaw-puller — was given Rs 2,000.

As Lalu left, Ram pedalled home happily.