With just two phases to go, voters and political analysts are keenly awaiting the June 4 verdict to see how the Lalu Prasad-led RJD will fare this time. In the 2019 LS election, the regional party's fortunes hit rock bottom as it failed to open its account.
The debacle stunned one and all. With both age and health not on his side, Lalu is hardly active as far as campaigning is concerned.
He addressed back-to-back rallies for his daughter Rohini in Saran. He may likely campaign for his eldest daughter and Rajya Sabha member Misa Bharti, contesting from Patliputra, which will vote on June 1.
After Lalu, there is no other leader in RJD of his stature. The responsibility of ensuring a good show rests on the shoulders of his youngest son, 34-year-old Tejashwi Yadav, who is holding around 4- 5 rallies every day.
HIS ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
Tejashwis has based his campaign on creating jobs, optimism and confidence among youths.
In the 2020 Bihar assembly election, he created a sort of frenzy among the youths when he promised 10 lakh government jobs if his party returned to power. Although
Tejashwi missed the victory by a whisker, he made RJD the number one party in the state by winning the maximum 75 seats. Further, people cannot forget the sordid saga of the 2019 LS election.
After his party's impressive performance in 2020, Lady Luck smiled on him again when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar snapped ties with BJP and formed a new government with the grand alliance in August 2022. The new grand alliance government gave around four lakh jobs during its 17-month-long tenure as Tejashwi who served as deputy chief minister in the government tried his best to take full credit for it.
"Our CM Nitish Kumar used to mock me during the 2020 Assembly poll campaign when our party promised 10 lakh jobs if voted to power, contending that it was not financially viable", Tejashwi claimed, targeting Nitish. Not only the upper castes but a section of non-Yadav OBCs, EBCs and Mahadalits are still uncertain what the situation would be like if the party returned to power.
WHAT IF HE PERFORMS WELL
People commonly believe RJD will not only open its account but will preform well and win a good number of seats. The reason? There is strong anti-incumbency against NDA MPs in majority of seats, which has led to local issues related to their respecti ve constituencies cropping up.
If Tejashwi wins even 3-4 seats, it will make a huge difference to the partys stature.
It will enthuse RJD workers immensely and help the party to contest assembly election due next year with a new confidence, commented political analyst Praveen Bagi.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi is apprehensive as he spent two nights in Patna recently and even visited the state BJP office, he added.
WHAT IF HE DOESNT
It will be extremely disappointing for both Tejashwi and RJD and the party's fate for the assembly election would be anybody's guess.
