Lalu Prasad Yadav
(The following are excerpts from two chapters – Highs in Delhi, Lows in Bihar and The Rising Stars of Bihar Politics of ‘Gopalganj to Raisina: My Political Journey, a memoir by Lalu Prasad Yadav, President of the RJD and former Bihar CM. The excerpts are being carried with the permission of the publisher.)
HIGHS IN DELHI, LOWS IN BIHAR
I was determined to see the end of the BJP-led government at the Centre, because I believed that both Bihar and the rest of the country had suffered as a consequence of this party’s rise.
Central leaders, especially those belonging to Bihar, had been placing obstacle after obstacle in the smooth functioning of the state government under Rabri Devi. Nationally, there was a sense that the oppressed classes as well as the minorities were getting a raw deal. It was this mix of overconfidence and arrogance which led the BJP to launch the ‘India Shining’ campaign.
The party was under the illusion that its victory in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls was a mere formality. I was to play a crucial role in bringing the curtains down on the Vajpayee Government. It may be recalled that I had helmed a partnership between the RJD and the Congress. My popularity among the people of the state, the tireless efforts of my party workers, the work put in by my allies — all combined to bear fruit.
We pulled off a miraculous victory, winning 29 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in truncated Bihar, after the creation of Jharkhand. The RJD alone secured 22 seats. Paswan’s LJP and the Congress won four and three seats, respectively. The BJP and the Janata Dal (U) — the Samata Party had merged with JD(U) — had to be content with just six and five seats, respectively.
The poor show of the BJP-led alliance in Bihar contributed significantly to its overall low tally of seats nationwide, leading to its exit from power. Perhaps, even more than some Congress leaders, I was eager to make Sonia ji the country’s next prime minister. Over the years, the RJD’s bonds with Congress had strengthened.
At a time when a section of senior Congress leaders was opposed to her leadership, and partners were unsure of their continuance in Congress camp, the RJD had emerged as the most credible ally of the Congress. The Congress-RJD partnership was — and is — based on a common ideology to promote secularism and save the idea of India, as enshrined in our Constitution.
DYNASTY POLITICS:
MUCH MALIGNED
With my three children, Misa, Tej Pratap and Tejashwi, becoming active in politics, my opponents began to attack me for promoting what they called dynasty politics. These are baseless and uncalled-for allegations. As parents, we are supposed to help our children in pursuing their passion. Usually, children are influenced by the atmosphere they are born and brought up in. I don’t find anything wrong with the progeny of lawyers, doctors, writers and professors adopting the vocation of their parents
Parents are, after all, duty-bound to help their children pursue the career of their choice. Rabri and I never interfered with Misa when she was doing her MBBS course. We didn’t interfere with Tejashwi’s passion for cricket. Tej Pratap is good at playing the flute, apart from working for the party. I had not inherited politics from my family. I struggled hard to gain acceptance and recognition from the people. Some elections I won, others I lost.
In fact, I joined student politics well before I was married to Rabri Devi. Misa was born when I was in jail in 1975. She was barely two years old when I was elected an MP from Chhapra in 1977. My other children were not born then. I don’t believe in the petty politics of attacking my opponents simply because their sons and daughters are in politics. I don’t care if someone attacks me, for I know that my children, after attaining adulthood, have chosen the vocation of their liking.
