It is a meeting of a BJP candidate in Bihar, so reference to Lalu bulldozing Varun can but not be mentioned. Rudy, however, does not take any names, preferring to only refer to the act of bulldozing.
"Yes, the JD-U-BJP combine government in Bihar has run bulldozers -- but for development -- to carve roads from mountains, to cut rivers to build embankments."
As the crowd listens to him with interest, he explains how Bihar has been deprived of adequate development because of the step-motherly treatment from the UPA government at the Centre. "Our misfortune has been such that when we had our government at the Centre, there was an RJD government in the state, and when we came to power in the state, we lost power in the Centre."
In his sophisticated Bhojpuri, he then delivers another punchline that has the gathering sniggering:
"Laluji has said if Advaniji becomes prime minister, he will resign from politics. So two good things are going to come out of this election. Advaniji will be prime minister and Laluji will forsake politics."
On L K Advani drawing comparisons with Varun Gandhi and Jayaprakash Narayan -- the famed Bihar-born crusader against Indira Gandhi's excesses during the Emergency -- Rudy deftly deflects rediff's query. "I would reserve my comment because as long as I am contesting from Chhapra I am not performing any duty as a BJP spokesperson."
"Lalu bulldozer sadak pe chalaye raheta to sadak ban gayi hoti, chale hai kisi ke seene par chalane (If Lalu had run a bulldozer to make some roads that would have been something, but all he can talk of is bulldozing somebody's chest)," quips someone from the crowd.
Photograph: Archana Masih | Image: Chhapra has not seen much development though it has had high profile representatives in the Lok Sabha -- Laloo Yadav and Rajiv Rudy.
Also see: The man in white versus Laloo | India Votes 2009
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