As Rohini Acharya, the second eldest daughter of Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi announced the beginning of her political journey from the soil of Saran, political enthusiasts started making speculations about her debut performance in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
The political debutant is being showered with uninvited comments from the likes of BJP, LJP and HAM. While the opposition parties boast of the eye-catching performance of the sitting MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy in the last two elections, Rudy is not someone who has never tasted defeat.
When Saran was not ‘Saran’
Delving a little into the history, it can be noticed that Saran wasn’t the Lok Sabha constituency since India became independent. It was carved in 2008 based on the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission of India. The very first election it witnessed was in 2009 when the RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav defeated Rajiv Pratap by a margin of 52,000 votes.
Rudy’s rule vs Lalu era
Before 2008, the territory was under Chhapra constituency where the RJD supremo won thrice and BJP MP twice. It is only since 2014 that Rajiv Pratap Rudy has won the Saran seat consecutively.
Emotions pour into EVM
In UP and Bihar, where the caste factor does magic, you can’t expect people to vote without emotions. It was in Allahabad in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections that veteran leader and former CM of Uttar Pradesh, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna lost to a newbie in politics, Amitabh Bachchan because his wife sought support as sister-in-law (bahu) of the constituency.
Bihar ki beti
Emotionally overwhelmed voters would certainly opt for the ‘ideal daughter’ who donated her kidney to her ailing father in 2022, even if they don’t like RJD. After 2022, Rohini attains a different place in the hearts of the public of Bihar.
Stats of RJD
If the last assembly elections of Bihar are to be considered, it was RJD which fetched the maximum number of seats and stood tall as the biggest party of Bihar. BJP undoubtedly did pretty well, the unprecedented trailing came in the hands of JDU chief Nitish Kumar who scored the third position and still managed to be the chief minister. While Nitish has been a ping-pong since 2015 to remain crucial and last lost his ground to an extent, it is RJD that has gained JDU’s lost share of momentum.
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Coming from the family of the RJD chief will completely work in support of Rohini Acharya and then when daughters approach to seek support, they get two extra ounces of it.
Rohini roars
Not just the daughter of a popular politician of Bihar, Rohini Acharya seems to have come from Singapore to Saran to mark her debut in bold. Her roadshow on Tuesday embarked on her journey in Saran where she received humongous support from the people of Bihar. Showered with flowers, when she interacted with media and people, she sounded like a strong candidate who is capable of locking horns.
Magic game for Rudy
What may do wonders for Rajiv Pratap Rudy on the other hand is the Modi wave and his own work. Narendra Modi is beginning his campaign in Bihar from Jamui on April 4 and no political expert can deny its impact on the voters. Rajiv Pratap isn’t an easy game either. He became MLA in 1990 on a Janata Dal ticket from Taraiya and became a Lok Sabha MP for the first time in 1996 from Chhapra.
Walk the ramp
Rohini, as the daughter of a veteran has got the ramp done, she just has to walk with confidence to rule over a million hearts. If she wins, she will definitely be perceived as the right hand and the guide of Tejaswi Yadav. If she loses, losing to a strong candidate like Rajiv Pratap Rudy won’t harm her much as a debutant but if the game happens otherwise, it would be a big blow to the saffron brigade even if they accomplish their mission of 370 seats. Rohini has precisely nothing to lose and all to win – votes, hearts, hopes.
