Very few battles in electoral history leave the contestants contented. Madhepura was one such battlefield. Both Laloo Prasad Yadav and Sharad Yadav declared in their inimitable but contrasting styles that they were winning the polls.
“I am very satisfied with the way the Madhepura polls have been conducted. Except for some mischief at some booths by the JD (U) supporters, the polls have been very peaceful. I am winning the seat comfortably. Not just Madhepura, but we will sweep all the 40 seats in Bihar,” said the maverick leader while talking to reporters after the elections. “Rudy aur Sharad, dono ki vidai ho gayee hai (Both Rudy and Sharad have been shown the door by the voters),” he added.
On being asked what made him so confident, he said, “I am a forecaster (psephologist?) and have studied political science. I am the political thermometer of Bihar and know the pulse of the people here. I can tell you whom will they (the people) vote for. I don’t see any seat going in favour of the NDA or the BJP in the state,” said the RJD chief.
“These people (JD-U) became so jittery after seeing the favourable response of the people towards the RJD that they even accused Subhash (Yadav) of kidnapping two JD (U) election agents. Yeh to abhi Patna se aa raha hai (he has come from Patna only now),” said the former chief minister pointing towards Subhash, who was standing behind him. “Lagta hai haazri le raha tha kidhar hain hum log (it seems the JD-U people were trying to locate us). Dhongi hai sab (they are frauds),” he added.
CHANGE OF HEART? Laloo no longer has an anathema towards Mulayam Singh Yadav. As the parliamentary elections ended in Bihar on Wednesday, the man who may hold the key in case of a hung parliament, said: “Mulayam and Mayawati are not untouchables. I do not have any ego problem with them. I will try to convince them to join hands with us in removing the fascist forces from the country. “Maro koi PM bane, pehle to desh ko bachana hai aur uske liye main kuch bhi karne ko taiyaar hun (Forget the issue of prime ministership, we need to save our country first,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}CHANGE OF HEART? Laloo no longer has an anathema towards Mulayam Singh Yadav. As the parliamentary elections ended in Bihar on Wednesday, the man who may hold the key in case of a hung parliament, said: “Mulayam and Mayawati are not untouchables. I do not have any ego problem with them. I will try to convince them to join hands with us in removing the fascist forces from the country. “Maro koi PM bane, pehle to desh ko bachana hai aur uske liye main kuch bhi karne ko taiyaar hun (Forget the issue of prime ministership, we need to save our country first,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking to a television news channel, Laloo said he had only one vision at present — to dethrone the BJP and the NDA. “I was the king maker and will now be the queen maker,” he said while commenting on the remote possibility of Congress president Sonia Gandhi opting out of the prime ministerial race. “Anyway, we (the secular alliance) have sufficient leaders with us. It is they (the NDA) which has only one leader and after him there is total bankruptcy of leaders,” he added.
“I do not see any demerit in her. It is you (the media), which create doubts in the minds of the people. Soniaji to desh ki bahu hain (Sonia Gandhi is the daughter-in-law of the country), Laloo said.