For the first time, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad is joining the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign, for his daughter Rohini Acharya, who is contesting from the Saran seat. Mr. Prasad has thus far not campaigned for any RJD or Mahagathbandhan alliance candidate. But on Wednesday, Mr. Prasad, along with his wife and former CM Rabri Devi, moved to Saran, where they are expected to camp for two-three days. Ms. Acharya is in a direct contest against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) sitting MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
Earlier, several BJP and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leaders criticised Mr. Prasad for not taking part in his party’s campaign, to which Ms. Acharya had replied that the ruling alliance should first deal with his children, who were enough to challenge them.
Now that Mr. Prasad has physically joined the campaign, the contest in Saran, hitherto a stronghold of his family, will be keen.
The RJD chief himself had won the seat, first in 1977, and then in 1989, 2004, and 2009. In 2014, however, his wife contested the election from Saran unsuccessfully. In 2019, Chandrika Rai, the father of Mr. Prasad’s daughter-in-law, was defeated by Mr. Rudy.
Mr. Prasad and his daughter were seen together in a sports utility vehicle (SUV), whereas Ms. Devi was in another SUV.
Asked about Mr. Prasad’s campaign, RJD leader and former Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav said Saran was his father’s karmbhoomi (workplace). “Yes, don’t you think he should join the campaign? He has gone to Saran, which has been his karmbhoomi (workplace), and the people of Saran have always given their blessings to Lalu-ji. It was the desire and wish of the people of Saran that though Lalu-ji cannot contest the election, he should field his daughter Rohini. Lalu-ji is the leader of the Mahagathbandhan, and now he will campaign more,” Mr. Yadav said.
“The way my sister has served our parents and given jeevan daan (gift of life; Ms. Acharya donated a kidney to her ailing father) to Lalu-ji, in the same way Rohini will serve the people of Saran as her parents,” Mr. Yadav said.
Since the start of the RJD’s campaign, Mr. Tejashwi Yadav has been at the forefront, conducting four to six rallies every day in support of Mahagathbandhan candidates.
Ms. Acharya is the second daughter, and the fourth among Mr. Prasad’s nine children to have entered into politics.
When her name was announced as the candidate from the Saran seat, several BJP leaders, including Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, made veiled attacks on the Prasad family. Mr. Choudhary accused Mr. Prasad of selling the Lok Sabha ticket to his daughter in lieu of a kidney. The other Deputy CM, Vijay Kumar Sinha, described her as the bahu (daughter-in-law) of Singapore, a reference to the country where Mr. Prasad underwent his transplant.
In her campaign, Ms. Acharya has continuously stressed change in the Saran seat, and has pledged to complete the work her father has been unable to do.
