However, it was her rising son Tejaswi Yadav who stole the show at both constituencies during his maiden appearance. Batting for his mother, the cricketer-turned-politician, in an oblique reference to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, said: “All those who are ridiculing my mother for contesting from two constituencies should file their papers and see the result.”
Nitish and Modi had made fun of Rabri the day Lalu declared her candidature from two seats. “By asking Rabri to contest from two constituencies, Lalu has conceded defeat even before the battle has begun,” the two leaders had reportedly said. “Sirf backdoor se chief minister nahi banna chahiye. (One should not become chief minister through backdoor). If they have guts, then one should contest from Raghopur and his deputy from Sonepur.
Everything will be crystal clear on November 24, the day results will be declared,” said Tejaswi. Incidentally, Nitish and Modi are members of the Legislative Council and, as such, both are not contesting the assembly elections.
Reacting to Nitish’s appeal to voters “not to change the doctor or the medicine midway if they want Bihar not to become a sick state again,” Lalu said: “All of us know Nitish is an electrical engineer. Since when he has become a doctor?” Hearing this, the crowd was in splits.
Flanked by Lalu, Tejaswi and an array of RJD leaders, Rabri filed her nomination papers, as per the advice of astrologers, at 11 am at Raghopur and 1 pm at Sonepur. The day was chosen Saturday as Lalu too had filed his papers on Saturday for Lok Sabha polls in Saran.
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