Rohini emerges as father Lalu Prasad’s political heir in Chapra
Law Kumar Mishra
In March 1977, Lalu Prasad Yadav entered the Lok Sabha at the age of 29 by bagging mammoth 4.86 lakh votes from Chapra.
He trounced sitting MP of Congress Ramshekhar Singh, who could poll just 41609 votes. Later in 1980, Yadav Lost to Satyadev Singh by nine thousand votes. I used to work in the English daily The Searchlight, and was also a member of Patna University Students Union of which Yadav was the President.
We – Lalu ji, student of Bihar Veterinary College, Jagdish Sharma and a brother-in-law, took ordinary class tickets by jetty from Mahendru Ghat to go to Chapra and reached Pahelja Ghat on the northside of river Ganga. We took an open ordinary jeep for Chapra for sixty rupees per day to travel to Sonpur. Then BLD candidate Lalu ji was wearing wide-brimmed pajamas and a flowing shirt and his shelter was at Ram Babu Rai’s house.
We used to sleep in his courtyard at night on a cot under the open sky. The candidate canvassed till late night; roaming from door to door, eating poori-sabji or rice-dal. Congress candidate Ramshekhar Singh was a Rajput and the voters from his caste had considerable sway. Lalu ji would also visit Rajput houses, touch the feet of the elderly mother of the house and seek blessings, and money too.
Late at night, sometimes he would come back to sleep on his bed after midnight. Even in the terrible heat, he would sleep without a fan. After taking the certificate from the election officer, we got down to Mahendru Ghat on the same route, this time taking an Ambassador taxi to reach Mahavir Temple and then house of a peon posted in the Veterinary College.
Today, Lalu Prasad’s 45-year-old daughter Rohini Acharya is also contesting from the same Chapra (the name of the constituency has been changed to Saran since 2009). The election journey starts from 10 Circular Road in a group of Fortuner and ultra-modern air-conditioned vehicles. Candidates enter the constituencies from JP Setu along with the SUVs of their supporters.
The candidate falters to stay and sleep in the village as father used to do. The convoy normally returns in the evening to Circular Road bungalow in Patna. The candidate once rested in the hotel of an influential leader near Chapra bus stand and an MLA from his party, who also has a luxurious residence. They spend more time in air-conditioned SUVs that is also affecting their health.
Ironically, in 1977, there were hardly any garlands on his father’s jeep. Today, the vehicle is packed with garlands and flowers. Lalu ji was not able to get mineral water bottles in 1977.
The electoral atmosphere is the same and also Chapra. What changed is that, in 1977 father was a candidate while today daughter had been in the fray.
(The author is a senior journalist based out in Patna, Bihar)
