The sentencing of Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam will be a turning point in Bihar politics, viewed Congress officials at a time when the party is giving conflicting signals on who will be its natural ally between the RJD and the Janata Dal (U).
The sentencing of Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam will be a turning point in Bihar politics, viewed Congress officials at a time when the party is giving conflicting signals on who will be its natural ally between the RJD and the Janata Dal (U). Ideally, the Congress wants to have pre-poll alliance with the JD(U) and the RJD as well which could check the BJP. But the imprisonment of Yadav in the scam could change the political equation in the state. “Minorities would vote for the JD(U) to check Narendra Modi. The votes of minorities, backwards and dalits would be decisive in the coming Lok Sabha elections,” a Congress official said. According to him, the Congress was never a force to reckon with in Bihar. “Brahmins and dalits were our political constituency but the OBCs always voted against us,” he said recalling how non-Congress parties have ruled the state for long. Now, the RJD cannot check the BJP and Mr Modi on its own, he said hinting that the JD(U), Congress and the LJP could be a winning combination. But a section of the Congress is for pre-poll alliance with the RJD. Signalling an unwillingness to burn its bridges with the RJD, the Congress on Thursday steered clear of commenting on the five-year jail term handed out to Yadav. Responding to questions on the issue of the party’s alliance with the RJD, Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal said, “Till now, they are with us. Their support is with us. Let us see how the situation evolves. Situations keep changing in politics. Alliances are made and broken. The issue of alliances is decided by the A.K. Antony Committee.” Asked whether it saw any eventuality of both the RJD and JD(U) supporting the Congress-led coalition, he said, “Their support is not only for Congress, they are supporting secularism.” Mr Afzal also sought to ignore the RJD’s charges of conspiracy on the issue of the now withdrawn ordinance aimed at saving legislators from immediate disqualification upon conviction. “We do not comment on court verdicts. Lalu’s party has said it will go in for an appeal in the higher courts and that is it,” he said in reply to a volley of questions on the issue.
