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Laloo tells Congress to drop 'unrealistic' demands

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Rashtriya Janata Dal president Laloo Prasad Yadav last night appealed to the Congress leadership not to make "unrealistic demands" during government formation in Bihar.

Congress sources said he had conveyed to the leadership that such demands could trigger off a revolt in the RJD because his colleagues had rallied together on the understanding that only Rabri Devi would head the Bihar government.

"Laloo Yadav has appealed to our leadership that if our party insists on unrealistic demands, it could backfire," the sources pointed out. They quoted Yadav as saying, 'Please don't insist on replacing Rabri Devi as chief minister because nobody else in our alliance is capable of replacing her'.

Congress leader and Bihar in-charge Mohsina Kidwai confirmed the RJD-Congress meeting last night where "discussions were held over how a stable government can be formed in the state."

Kidwai, however, indicated that since her party had virtually "baled out" the RJD in the state by extending support, the RJD leadership would do well to "recognise realpolitik" and fashion its strategy.

The sum and substance of Kidwai's contention was directed at Laloo's reluctance to replace Rabri Devi, who is likely to be chargesheeted by the CBI for her alleged involvement in the disproportionate wealth case.

Kidwai indicated that while all hiccups in the way of government-formation in Bihar would be amicably sorted out between her party and the RJD, "We will not hesitate to ask for the maximum political gains in Bihar."

Translated into simple language, this means that the Congress will drive a hard bargain for its support to the RJD without which the Rabri government is likely to collapse.

Congress sources indicated that their party's meeting with the RJD chief would continue today and they would be in constant telephonic touch with each other till the controversy relating to Rabri's alleged disproportionate assets was resolved.

It is learnt that Laloo airdashed to Delhi yesterday from Patna following reports that the Congress leadership had insisted on replacing Rabri Devi with either the legislative council chairman Jabir Hussain or the RJD working president Ranjan Yadav. Hussain was quick to deny suggestions that he was in the race.

Political observers feel that if the Congress agrees to Rabri continuing as chief minister, Yadav will have to concede its demand on the other aspects of government-formation. The Bihar unit of the Congress is pushing the central leadership to extract its pound of flesh from the RJD.

The Congress has insisted that it should be given the irrigation, PWD, rural development, agriculture, power and finance portfolios, which demand too has put the RJD chief at his wit's end.

Besides, the Congress has insisted on the induction of technocrats as advisors to the Rabri government with cabinet rank. This is something Yadav would find extremely tricky to concede, given the fact that the MY (Muslim-Yadav) caste composition, which is Laloo's support base, stands to be adversely affected. Yadav is learnt to have raised this point with Congress leaders like Dr Manmohan Singh, Madhavrao Scindia and Pranab Mukherjee, but the latter too have underscored that they have their own party's aspirations to meet.

That the RJD chief is walking a political tightrope is apparent from his conduct. His aides in Bihar Niwas pointed out that he is full of nervous tension and is given to occasionally venting his spleen at them. He has refused to meet journalists, saying that they could meet him only after the irritants were smoothened out.

RJD spokesman Shahid Mazdoor pointed out that the Rabri government in Bihar would be expanded without any hiccups because the Congress and other Opposition parties knew that instability in Bihar would be "an invitation to the NDA."

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