Addressing the much-hyped chetawani rally here at the historic Gandhi Maidan, the RJD chief also favoured reservations for the poor among the upper castes. 

In his first show of strength, ever since he lost the battle of Bihar to his arch- rival Nitish Kumar in 2005, Lalu lashed out at the NDA regime in Bihar and issued a chetawani (warning) to the present regime to shape up or ship out.

“Some people, who always accused our regime as jungle raj, had promised to turn Patna into Singapore, Paris and Mauritius. Lekin ab Patna ke sadak ko hee chechak ho gaya hai. (Now, Patna roads have developed small pox). The RJD chief was referring to the potholed roads in the state capital.

Attacks Nitish
Virtually listing out a ‘charge-sheet’ against the Nitish dispensation, Lalu accused him of sitting on moneybags and crying for funds.

“Nitish has not been able to utilise the amount granted by the Centre in an optimum way and still he blames us (UPA government),” averred Lalu.

The RJD chief was more scathing while attacking his bete-noire for inadequate flood relief work. “Besides, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme is not being implemented in Bihar as a result of which labourers are still leaving the State in search of job,” he charged.

Denying the allegation he had blatantly misused the Railways for the rally, Lalu said the amount (Rs 2 crore) collected from people across the State had been deposited with the Railways.

 Taking potshot at Nitish who had remarked recently that “Lalu will be bowled out for a duck if elections are held today,” the RJD supremo, in his inimitable style, said, “Aisa chakka marenge ki stadium ke paar ho jayega. (I will hit such a huge six, that it (NDA) will go out of stadium.”

As the gathering burst into laughter, Lalu introduced his two sons, Tej Pratap and Tarun Pratap to the crowd and asked them: “Janata ko pranam karo.” The two sons readily obeyed  their father’s word.

Lalu, however, was quick to add that his two sons did not intend to join politics as they were more interested in cricket.

Bowls for quota
The flag-bearer of post-Mandal OBC politics in early 1990s, Lalu stunned his ‘vote-bank’ when he deviated from his oft-repeated ‘social justice’ plank, and favoured reservations for economically poor upper caste people.
“Constitutional provisions should be made for them,” he remarked, with an eye on consolidating his base among forward castes, who, till recently, looked at him with contempt.