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Lalu fails to prevent President's rule
Cabinet has recommended imposition of central rule in Bihar. Have your say
UPA rivals Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan skipped the meeting of the Union cabinet here on Monday which recommended imposition of president's rule in Bihar and placed the deadlocked assembly under suspended animation.
Lalu's no-show was aimed at making a political point without appearing to rock the UPA regime. Having staked a claim in Bihar, he couldn't have gone along with the cabinet's endorsement of central rule.
Paswan, on his part, stayed away to avoid allegations of "influencing" the cabinet’s decision.
The Congress brass wasn't surprised by Lalu's move — the RJD chief had informed Sonia Gandhi about his plans at a meeting earlier in the day. Lalu, who assured Sonia he would do nothing to weaken the UPA, argued for fresh elections. He maintained a viable secular government wasn't possible unless Paswan gave up his anti-RJD stance.
Lalu has been lobbying for fresh elections since Sunday. After Governor Buta Singh's report to the Centre, he spoke to the CPI(M)'s HS Surjeet — whose party is supporting Lalu's 'back-to-the-people' line — and contacted Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee over the phone.
Mukherjee told him the proposal wasn't workable — essentially because it wouldn't get Parliament's endorsement. Also, the period afforded by central rule can be used to work out the numbers.
Indicative of the continuing efforts to forge new alliances was Paswan's offer of the chief minister's office to the JD(U) if it left the NDA and nominated a Muslim for the state's top slot. If it works out eventually, such an arrangement will also negate Lalu's charge that the LJP had weakened secular forces.
