Lalu stages grand comeback

The Capital of the most politically sensitive state of Bihar, Patna is an ancient and historic city. Its earlier city Patliputra used to be the Capital of the then Magadha Empire as early as during 300 BC.
 
The city is situated on the  southern bank of river Ganges and is sacred to the Sikhs as their 10th guru, Guru Gobind Singh was born here. It has five other Gurdwaras apart from Takht Sri Patna Sahib, one of the five Takhts of Sikhs. The political nerve centre of the city is Gandhi Maidan, venue of all political rallies.
 
It is a place where the leaders with tall stature show their political strength. In other words, the ground sometime helps in emerging leaders to become politically significant.

The ground has become the first of its kind to launchpad baptise the wards in politics by the tall and well establish political leaders to formalise dynastic transfer. The longest serving head of a political party and charismatic personality with different mesmerising qualities, Lalu Prasad Yadav, used this launchpad to announce a formal entry of his two beloved sons in to the family dominated party and politics of conveniences and ambitions.
 
The launch of the two clans of Lalu Yadav in Parivartan Rally at Gandhi Maidan might be in tune with his intention to bring a change in the state and revive his family kingdom, that was lost to Nitish Kumar in 2005.  The introduction of Tejaswi (24) and Tej Pratap (26) into the party and politics is not less than scoring a double century in cricket.
 
Lalu might be thinking to reinforce his family leadership to meet the ensuing challenge of National Democratic Party (NDA), especially Nitish. The President of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) once tried to rope in an Osama look-alike to garner support of the minorities, but unfortunately it went in vain.
 
It is better to use your own sons in election campaigns rather than other unreliable  unknown faces as the family clans would at least be able to strengthen dejected workers and stimulate them suitably.

This is the first ever incident to launch clans in a mammoth rally planned meticulously whereas the earlier launches had been silent and gradual, sometimes sudden on the demise of the mass leaders.
 
Seemingly, Lalu would like to make use of all of his tricks, tried and tested formula of Muslim – his combination and yet unveiled game-changer strategies. The launch of the first class and twenty-20 cricketer, Tejaswi and his elder brother Tej Pratap looks like a well conceived plan to infuse a positive visible current in the youth. Tejaswi played one first class match to score total 20 runs whereas in his four twenty-20 matches he scored only four runs in one inning with a strike rate of 75.
 
Will he be able to score similar strike rate in politics and develop a niche for himself on the new pitch? Tej Pratap, could not get through in his BA first year examination in 2012 and was allowed to take up the 2nd year studies with a rider to clear both the examinations together.
 
Will the two Ts become charismatic enough to dethrone Nitish?  One must laud the way Lalu organised the launch function at Gandhi Maidan. The leader who is taking on Nitish and Modi side by side by using his word power must not be taken so lightly.
 
The leader who managed to rule the state by proxy through his wife Rabri Devi, after he demitted office of the chief minister in the aftermath of fodder scam, the leader who dared to arrest the father figure of the BJP – the Rath Yatri  – L K Advani in 1991 is, no doubt, a force to reckon with.
 
The arrest of Advani facilitated Lalu into national political scenario and brought him popularity among the minorities.

Timings of the Parivartan rally is of utmost importance as the major political party in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is one way wooing Nitish by sanctioning his Rs 32 crore annual plan and setting up a committee to look into the need to grant a special status to Bihar and on the other hand declaring its intention to contest on its own in Bihar. Huge participation in the Parivartan Rally might help Lalu in re-emerging from his political hibernation of the last six years.
 
Patna witnessed the biggest political show since the RJD regime headed by Rabri was ousted. The rally would also be remembered as the RJD chief, his wife and his two sons used appropriate words in their speeches and sounded a warning to the Nitish-led NDA government.
 
Lalu was at his best as he called Nitish the dictator and parrot of the BJP and RSS. Rabri was unusually aggressive and Tej and Tejaswi were taken in good spirit by the crowd. As Lalu has already launched his sons and named his party headquarter after Rabri, will he ever think of launching at least one of his daughters into politics from the new launchpad in Patna?
 
The author is a communication consultant.