Lalu changes track, bats for George

Ahead of Bhagalpur, Nalanda bypolls, backs Fernandes8217; man to show 8216;secular8217; votes are his preserve

His penchant for rhetoric notwithstanding, Railway Minister and RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav is capable of surprising his friends and adversaries alike.

For instance, his allies would have imagined that he would celebrate the registration of the CBI case against former defence minister and NDA convenor George Fernandes and go to town about it. Particularly, when he had been at the receiving end all these years. Lalu has done neither.

And now, in the run-up to the by-elections in Bhagalpur and Nalanda Lok Sabha constituencies, his leftist admirers would have expected him to back their candidates. But Lalu is not doing anything like that. Instead, he has thrown his weight behind a Fernandes-loyalist contesting as an Independent in Nalanda.

Lalu would certainly not take a public position in favour of Fernandes due to compulsions of being a part of the ruling coalition, but sources in the RJD have disclosed that he is not at all enthused over the CBI case against the fellow-socialist. 8220;He is an old man,8221; Lalu is understood to have underlined while discussing the issue among his party colleagues soon after the case was registered. Back home in Bihar, he has only talked of the Barak deal 8220;money8221; being used in state Assembly polls, but Fernandes has been spared of his trade-mark stinging comments.

The RJD had left the Bhagalpur seat for the CPIM and Nalanda for Lok Janashakti Party of Ram Vilas Paswan in last Lok Sabha polls. But now, he has turned his back on his allies though Congress is supporting Subodh Roy of CPIM in Bhagalpur and Gaya Singh of CPI in Nalanda.

Lalu has extended his support to Fernandes-loyalist Arun Kumar in Nalanda. A Bhumihar, Arun Kumar is a former Janata Dal U MP from neighbouring Begusarai. He recently quit JDU to fight from Nitish Kumar8217;s home constituency. Since Ram Swaroop Ram of JDU is expected to romp home, the entire effort of RJD chief, according to sources, is to ensure that Arun Kumar gets past Gaya Singh. This would work to mutual benefit of Fernandes and Lalu. The former would be able to flaunt Arun Kumar8217;s good score as a proof of support from people vis-agrave;-vis Sharad Yadav-Nitish Kumar combine. Gaya Singh, when pushed to the third slot, would only underline the marginalisation of CPI, Congress and LJP within the 8220;secular8221; ambit in Bihar.

In Bhagalpur, the RJD chief has put up his own candidate 8212; Shakuni Chaudhry. There being no consolidation of the 8220;secular8221; vote, BJP nominee Shahnawaz Hussain would naturally benefit from this move.

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So what if there are any side-gainers. Lalu will be content as long as the game suits his purpose.