Brother-out-law

His list of misdemeanours is long. He is facing trial in a Delhi court for allegedly firing at demonstrating JNU students at the Bihar Bhawan in 1996. Then there was a recent case of assaulting Bihar Transport Commissioner N K Singh in his office. He has cases of booth capturing and intimidation against him. Patna journalists recall Sadhu’s violent guest appearance at a march they has taken out in 1997 to protest an assault on a camera crew that was filming a mansion rumoured to have been made with the fodder scam money.

Aren’t these the stuff villains are made of? Can one fault Sadhu for assuming he inspired Prakash Jha’s villain? But after meeting Jha, Sadhu is nonchalant about the whole incident. ‘‘Why should I bother? There are lakhs of Sadhu Yadavs.’’

But this Sadhu Yadav is one in a million. Among Rabri’s three warring brothers— Prabhunath, Sadhu and Subash—it’s Sadhu, the middle one who has wielded the maximum power and created most controversies.

Sadhu began his political career by becoming a permanent fixture at sister Rabri’s house. He dreamed big, interfered in the ministry formation and even fancied himself chief minister when Laloo vacated following the fodder scam. He wished to be included in the cabinet when Rabri’s second government was formed in 2000 and boycotted the swearing in when ignored by Laloo. Laloo had got Subash into his coterie and irritated by Sadhu had once famously remarked: ‘‘These are all transformers and I am the powerhouse. I can stop the supply any time.’’

Sadhu’s decline still continues in Laloo’s scheme of things. The latest Ganagajal uproar has not endeared him to Laloo who has been posing as the protector of freedom of speech.

Sadhu represents Gopalganj in the state assembly now and wants to fight the Gopalganj parliamentary seat which he couldn’t in the previous parliament elections. He is trying to develop a new image of a development conscious MLA by concentrating on his constituency. But the powerhouse of Bihar politics has not indicated if the Sadhu transformer will be charged in 2004.