Patna, Dec. 16: Theft and robberries are believed to be on the decline in Bihar.

But last evening’s theft of an RJD MLA’s car from a wedding venue near the police line here will certainly unnerve the chief minister when the winter session of the Assembly starts tomorrow.

Incidentally, Anil Kumar was probably the first legislator whose car was stolen.

Ironically, unlike the “tough guy” image of Bihar legislators, the soft-spoken and suave Anil, also known as Sheru Bhai in political circles, is convent educated and an MSc from Patna Science College. Son of a former member of constituent assembly and first generation Dalit leader, Chandrika Ram, Anil had also cleared the civil services exam in early ’80s. A bibliophile elite, who has two of his brothers in the Indian Foreign Service and Indian Police Service, Anil does not fit in the brand that Bihar MLAs are usually identified with.

He is probably the only MLA who moves in a small car despite the fact that he was a member of the Rajya Sabha twice and was elected to the Assembly first time in 1980. Others of his ilk travel in SUVs. Thus, when his car was stolen from a wedding reception in an upscale locality here, the immediate reaction in political circles was that the “thieves might not have thought the old car’s owner can be an MLA”.

Moreover, his brother Sunil Kumar was a senior superintendent of police, deputy inspector-general and inspector-general of Patna for over a decade. In fact, even chief minister Nitish Kumar and others of the ruling establishment are shocked at the theft of Anil’s car.

But the RJD, which often cries itself hoarse about the “breakdown of law and order in Bihar” even in incident-free days, is all set to take the House by storm on the issue. “The administration has failed to save the car of our party MLA from thieves. You can imagine the plight of the common people. Thieves are on prowl even in the heart of state capital. We will not sit silent on the issue,” said RJD general secretary Ramkripal Yadav.

The Opposition will use the car theft more as a “political opportunity” than their actual concern about the law and order issue.

The RJD-LJP combine is also all set to accuse the government of “dividing” the Dalits by coining the “Mahadalit” term for a section of the Dalit society. The opposition members are likely to make drought and alleged corruption in the NREGS a big issue during the session.

But it is the Congress, which is likely face more heat, with both the ruling NDA and RJD-LJP combine determined to attack the Union government for “neglecting Bihar”. Both the RJD-LJP combine and the NDA have got the resurgent Congress as their common enemy ahead of next year’s Assembly elections.