Lalu Gets Closer to Rabri

If politics forced Lalu Prasad to stay over 1,000 km away from his wife Rabri Devi, it’s politics again that has brought them together. If politics forced Lalu Prasad to stay over 1,000 km away from his wife Rabri Devi, it’s politics again that, in a strange manner, has shown the way to end the separation for Bihar’s top Yadav couple. The stripping of Lalu’s ministerial responsibilities at New Delhi caused by the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s downsizing in the Lok Sabha from 24 to just 4 seats also means the RJD chief will now have enough time to spend with Rabri Devi at Patna. Interestingly, the same poll outcome that turned Lalu Patna-bound has also forced Rabri Devi to withdraw a bit from politics in the state. The weakening of Lalu’s political appeal has emboldened a section of RJD MLAs to demand the removal of Rabri Devi from the post of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly. These MLAs have asserted that “a dumb Opposion leader like her” cannot provide leadership to the party. So vociferous is the demand for ejecting Rabri Devi that Lalu kept her away from a crucial meeting of senior party leaders. The meeting was called to assess the cause for the RJD’s pathetic show in the recent election and prepare a blueprint for revival. Though Lalu asserted his wife could not attend the meeting on grounds of ill health, the fact remains that the two will now have to do a lot of brainstorming to come out of the crisis. And for all this, they would need to spend more time together.