We are not quite sure if there is a conflict of interest, but we are certainly interested in this conflict. Rabri Devi and Laloo Prasad Yadav have first claim to being the most remarkable marital collaboration in Indian politics. Ever since he did his bit for gender representation and installed her as chief minister upon resigning himself because of the animal husbandry chargesheet in the late 1990s, the Yadavs have remained the focus of intense scrutiny. Foes and friends have keenly anticipated a gesture of wifely assertion. As the years have ticked by, so has the feeling grown that now it is only a matter of time. A matter of time before Rabri wields her ladle a little more firmly, and signals to her husband that she is in charge of the kitchen cabinet. Alas, that moment never came. Through all the upheavals at Patna’s 1, Anne Marg, she has remained demurely in step with Laloo.But such is life, that if the couple doesn’t deliver, circumstances do. Spectacular success in Elections 2004 has separated the Yadavs and now positioned them as adversaries. Rabri’s ministry — which critics cruelly say is nothing but Laloo’s ministry — had some months ago filed a case against the Union railway ministry for Rs 1002 crore. The exact details of the destruction of flora and fauna due to the Bagaha-Chittauni rail-cum-road bridge are awaited, but the politics at the time must have been clear. Their great political rival, Nitish Kumar, then ruled in Rail Bhawan in New Delhi and this must have appeared to be a clever way to test his commitment to Bihar ahead of the assembly elections, which must be held this winter.So how will the Yadavs handle this one? Will there be track two negotiations at the dining table when they happen to be in the same town? Or will the much imagined standoff actually take place? Through it all, keep in mind Laloo’s flair for performance. So whether he readily capitulates to the missus’ plea for the greater good of Bihar, or whether Rabri utilises this opportunity to carve out a separate identity, be sure the equation will be protected. Yadav versus Yadav will equal political mileage.
