Democracy-in-Genes Award The Haryana voter. ‘‘We know, we know Chautala has spent money on development. Electricity? Well, it’s not bad. Roads? They are improving. Oh no, corruption is not an issue. Politicians will always make money but they must deliver. Still, Chautala won’t win. His five years are over.’’Lost Wit Award Laloo Prasad Yadav. ‘‘Please don’t disturb me.’’ Headmaster of Headmasters Award Laloo Prasad Yadav, for having built a college lecture room in the chief minister’s bungalow, complete with a teacher’s platform and benches going up like a gallery. He reprimands his RJD legislators from the podium, in the company of Rabri Devi and one senior party leader. Smartest Riposte Award Jharkhand’s deputy chief minister in the Soren government, Stephen Marandi. Journalist: ‘‘Mr Marandi, you vanquished Soren’s son and then became his deputy chief minister.’’ Marandi: ‘‘I just gave him good advice against dynastic politics and he was enlightened. He rewarded me.’’ The Everest Height of Optimism Award Shibu Soren, for planning ways to combat Jharkhand’s water crisis while his minority government wobbled and looked around for MLAs to buy. The Failed Super Cop Award Jharkhand’s new minister, Bandhu Tirkey. He sprinted into the airport and refused to let the BJP chartered plane take off, without realising he didn’t have a search warrant and hadn’t even filed a police complaint that his fellow MLAs were being kidnapped. He had to be cajoled out of the airport. Tirkey wasn’t convinced that he was doing anything illegal. The Most Original Explanation Award Governor Syed Sibtey Razi. ‘‘I finally took my decision to swear in Shibu Soren because I think the governor’s first job is to ensure stability. And the UPA can provide stability.’’ (All along, Soren never had more than 40 MLAs) The Shocking Goof-Up Award Shibu Soren and Stephen Marandi jointly. Soren spent so much time convincing Marandi to be part of the UPA coalition that the BJP had the first opportunity to go after the approachable Independents. The Madan Lal Khurana Narrow Political Vision Award Bhajan Lal. His brand of politics is all about Khurana-like coterie management within the party structure. And it is because of this ‘promote one’s own coterie’ habit that he fell out of 10 Janpath’s favour Crumpled Dress Award Chief Minister Rabri Devi. Politicians fighting for social justice have a dress code. They hardly comb their hair and seldom iron their clothes. There are MPs and MLAs who collect dust in empty medicine phials, and rub the powder on their washed and well-ironed clothes before stepping out. This time, Rabri Devi outdid her husband. She wore a pale blue sari and a matching blouse that was wrinkled not with her feelings for the downtrodden but with her political worries. Laloo wore a smart half-sleeve vest and a dhoti that finally fell below his aging calves. Return of the Manipulator Award Ajit Jogi. He resurfaced in Jharkhand and was back at his old game of formulating strategies to buy Independents and form a government by hook or by crook. His accident had forced him to stay out of political machinations for more than a year. The Best New Political Gesture Award Laloo Prasad Yadav using both hands to shoo away invading journalists. The Great Escape Award The BJP leadership, for sending over a chartered aircraft to Ranchi airport, when it was actually smuggling out the Independents in a cavalcade to Durgapur in West Bengal The Lifetime Achievement Award for Political Clowning Laloo Prasad Yadav, even though he was not in his element this time. The Vigilante Award Ram Vilas Yadav picking up the phone repeatedly at Maurya, Patna, to find out if Laloo would board the flight he was scheduled to take. The 2005 Man of the Election Award Governor Syed Sibtey Razi. He proved he could add in a descending order and subtract in an ascending order, and make 41 less than 40. He provided the best entertainment this February-March.
