Lalu's RJD loses Bihar polls, but not hope

February 28, 2005

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Sunday lost elections in Bihar, a state where it enjoyed a stranglehold for 15 years, but vowed to form the government after somehow cobbling a majority.

Claiming the mandate was for the splintered secular parties, Lalu Prasad started sending signals to estranged friends as well as bitter rivals in order to cling to power despite falling far short of a majority in the 243-member house.

Lalu Prasad reportedly telephoned friend-turned-foe and Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan to seek the support of the latter's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), which won 31 seats to matter most in the race for power.

It was not clear how Paswan responded, but Lalu Prasad made it clear at a late evening press conference - his first since the disastrous showing - that he was ready to mend fences.

As the BJP and earlier Paswan demanded the resignation of the RJD government, Lalu Prasad said: "It is a mandate for the secular parties. Now it is for secular parties to decide."

Though a fractured verdict after counting of votes cast in staggered polling from Feb 3-23 threw up no clear winner, Lalu Prasad's setback was clear and decisive as the RJD ended up with 74 seats - about 50 seats short of a majority.

The opposition Janata Dal-United (JD-U)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the largest alliance with 92 seats.

The Congress, which contested the polls partly with LJP and partly with RJD, got only 10 seats.

But Lalu Prasad insisted: "My party is the single largest. Even as a pre-poll alliance, my party and its allies would claim 92 seats."

The Samajwadi Party of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav - another rival of Lalu Prasad - opened its account in Bihar with four seats.

Lalu Prasad's chief minister wife Rabri Devi won her Raghopur assembly seat after an initial scare, but the state of her party subdued the celebrations.

The couple's 1, Anne Marg home here was practically deserted as a normally outspoken Lalu Prasad shut himself indoors for most part of the day and kept in touch with closest aides over the mobile telephone.

Other members of the outgoing cabinet, Jagdanand Singh, Mahabali Singh and Abdul Bari Siddiqui, also won.

The main losers included leader of the opposition in the state assembly Upendra Kuswaha (JD-U), state Congress president Ramjatan Sinha, senior Congress leader Vijay Shankar Dubey and Veena Sahi of the Congress.

An exultant BJP, however, said Bihar would finally see the back of Lalu Prasad.

"It is a clear mandate against the RJD," said BJP leader Arun Jaitely, who was in charge of his party's Bihar strategy. "The best claimant of the mandate in Bihar can only be the NDA (National Democratic Alliance)."

JD-U leader Nitish Kumar, who has been projected as the NDA's chief ministerial candidate, beamed and said his combine had won the people's mandate to form the next government.

"People voted for us and we will not disappoint them," he told reporters here.

A senior BJP leader told reporters that the party was prepared to do everything to form the next government, and the role of small parties and independents was key.

"Just wait and watch," the leader said, not ruling out talks with even Paswan, who has asserted he would not tie up with the BJP.

Holding the master key to power, a belligerent Paswan made it clear he would play hard to get and would prefer central rule to propping up the RJD in Bihar.

"Our alliance was with the Congress. I had already said I will not tie up with the RJD or BJP," Paswan asserted. "Bihar needs central rule for a year, during which time it can be spruced up and cleaned."

But Congress leaders were hopeful they could persuade Paswan to come around and set aside his differences with Lalu Prasad. The LJP leader is arriving in New Delhi Monday for talks with the Congress leadership.