Lalu Prasad laughs at fate of BJP, circumspect Nitish Kumar smiles on

PATNA: One image that is bound to linger on in the minds of people long after the dust of the Bihar elections settles down is the tight Nitish-Lalu cinch moments after results of the landmark vote were announced. The emphatic victory of the NDA in Lok Sabha polls led by Narendra Modi had brought together two men who were political foes for almost two decades and they were not about to let go.

At the press conference to announce their triumph on Sunday, the joy on their faces was writ large, Lalu Prasad guffawing every now and then "at the fate of the BJP" and Nitish, ever circumspect, letting out a bemused, almost indulgent, smile. Wearing his trademark white kurta-pajama, Nitish harped on the fact that there would be no ill will against the Centre and that, indeed, with help from Delhi the state of Bihar would touch new heights. Lalu, as usual, refused to be subtle. "I have been awake since four in the morning. (But) I did not sit on my favourite chair. Whenever I sit on it my party loses." Laughter followed.

Lalu was in terrific form.

The man, who predicted better than most exit polls, added that he had made the right call. To a fair bit of skepticism, the RJD strongman had said immediately after exit polls were out that the Mahagathbandhan would get 190 seats out of the 243 on test. The alliance garnered a very credible 178.

Encouraged by the reaction of the people in the press conference — the hall was filled to capacity with journalists and senior politicians from the RJD, JD (U) and Congress — Lalu went mercilessly after Modi.

Mocking him for not congratulating him "when almost all senior leaders of the BJP, including Rajnath Singh, called me", Lalu quipped: "I can understand that he is unhappy and did not call me. But he called Nitish and congratulated him, which is a good thing. Was the congratulation heartfelt? We don’t know."