It's fathers vs sons in Bihar politics

PATNA: The wait seems to be getting longer for some of the babalogs who now desperately want to jump into the electoral fray without caring for the sensibilities of their politico fathers.

Senior RJD leader Jagdanand Singh is already fretting and fuming after son Sudhakar rebelled against him only to join the saffron brigade. Mr Jagdanand, a minister in the RJD government for 15 years, was elected to the Lok Sabha from Buxar in May 2009 elections, raising hopes for Sudhakar that he would be accommodated on the father’s traditional Ramgarh seat.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad, sources say, was even willing to oblige Sudhakar by offering him the Ramgarh seat, but father put a veto saying he (Sudhakar) could enter politics only after his retirement. Sudhakar then approached chief minister Nitish Kumar for JD(U) nomination but was told to settle the matter with his father first.

And so (un)expectedly, Sudhakar on Sunday formally joined BJP, leaving no one in doubt that he is going to be the saffron nominee from Ramgarh. “For more than 10 years he took my help to pursue his politics and now when my time has come, he is scuttling my chances,” the junior Singh privately remarked about his father.

Father Jagdanand has declared that he would support an RJD nominee, making it clear that he would have no qualms in opposing his son.

Also, it is learnt that JD(U) national spokesperson and party MP Shivanand Tiwari’s son Mantu is trying for RJD
ticket from Shahpur seat. “It will be an embarrassment for me if he is in the electoral fray on an RJD symbol. But he
is mature enough to take decisions on his behalf. At the same time, if the party so felt that I should campaign against him, I will do so,” says Shivanand.

Meanwhile, JD(U) MP Mahabali Singh’s son Dharmendra has already joined RJD. Dharmendra is likely to be fielded by RJD from the Chainpur seat. The senior Singh, on his part, has urged the JD(U) leadership to spare him from any election campaign that would go against his son.

Just to recall, the 2005 state assembly polls saw a unique contest between a mother and a son. It was Kauhsal Yadav who went on to defeat his mother and the sitting MLA Gayatri Devi in Govindpur constituency. It had then created a history of sorts in the state politics.