When Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar spout venom at each other, they do so with idioms born in the fields of Bihar.
If Kumar blogs to reach out to people, Prasad says: “When I come to power, I will create blocks (administrative units). That is a whole lot better.”
While Prasad lampoons Kumar’s claim to be the Sushashan Babu (Good Governance Man) by terming him Kushshan Babu (Master of Bad Governance), it was Nitish who tried to draw him out into a debate through doggerels.
Nitish said: “Jai ho kayapalatji ki jai ho, Bihar mein bhai ho” (What is about this turnaround man [for Lalu in Railways] that Bihar shudders at his mention?). To that Prasad’s repartee was “Yeh sashan hai Maharaj Sushshan ka, khel ho raha kushashan ka”.
Prasad adds: “Bhai-bhrastachar mitayengey, farzi AC/DC bills banaeyengey” (he claims to weed out the corrupt and stamp out fear but creates fake AC/DC bills). Prasad says “Rabri naari nahin chingari hai (Rabri is not a woman, she is a spark).” JD-U spokesperson Shivanand Tiwary readily agrees: “Whatever she did she burnt up Bihar.”
But mundane seriousness takes over once central Congress leaders operating from New Delhi descend on the political landscape of Bihar.
{{/usCountry}}But mundane seriousness takes over once central Congress leaders operating from New Delhi descend on the political landscape of Bihar.
{{/usCountry}}Nitish Kumar responds to their charges: “What did they do in the 40 years preceding mine, when they were in power?”
Elections, as in the past, can provide at best a partial answer.