Recognise the vultures in form of BJP choppers hovering over Bihar skies: Lalu Prasad Yadav

VAISHALI: ‘They say it will be Jungle Raj Part 2...No, it will be Mandal Part 2 — Lalu Prasad’. So lists out the RJD leader’s main election plank.

Phase 3 of Bihar polls may be more than a week away, but there’s no slowing down for Lalu. Both his sons, Tejashwi and Tej Pratap, contesting in this phase.

ET spent a day on his campaign trail on Sunday, attending four of his eight rallies of the day, to witness crowds turning out in good numbers to listen to the everpopular former chief minister.

“Modi said he will put Rs 15 lakh in everyone’s account. I thought, I have seven daughters, two sons and Rabri — I would have been richer by Rs 1.5 crore; my life would have been set.

But like you, I also got ‘than-than gopal’ (zilch),” Prasad said at Deedarganj, his second rally of the day, and he had the crowd in splits. A towel on his head, Prasad’s characteristic style ensures an instant crowd connect.

The first thing that Prasad now does after climbing the stage at all his rallies is to look up and check that there is no ceiling fan — one had fallen on his arm the other day. At his Fatuha rally, organisers put a table fan on the stage, which Prasad got removed. “The public is standing in such heat, why do I need a fan?” he said, drawing cheers.

Prasad’s speeches revolve around PM Narendra Modi’s “broken promises”. He even scolded the crowd at the Khumurpur rally for not listening to him during the LS polls and voting for BJP. “You got swayed. Now accept your mistake…atone for it. Recognise these vultures in the form of BJP choppers hovering over Bihar skies,” he said.

Prasad always wants to involve with the crowds. He deliberately makes his chopper hover above the rally venues for a while to get the crowds in.