Lalu's Legacy, Rudy's Relevance: The Mini-Battles In Saran

The contest in Saran, Bihar, a symbolically-significant Lok Sabha constituency, has intensified. Corridors of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) are buzzing with the news of Rohini Acharya, Lalu Yadav’s daughter contesting from Saran.

In a Facebook post, Senior RJD leader Sunil Kumar Singh wrote, “Dr. Rohini Acharya is an embodiment of immense love, devotion and dedication towards her father. It is the heartfelt wish of all the party workers of Saran division that Dr. Rohini Acharya should be declared the candidate of Rashtriya Janata Dal from Saran Lok Sabha."

Singh is considered close to the Lalu family.

Family First

If she contests, Acharya will be the family's fourth person from this generation of the Lalu after Tejasvi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav and Misa Bharti to enter electoral politics.

Acharya is most prominently known for donating a kidney to her father Lalu Yadav. Not only party cadre, but even Giriraj Singh, Begusarai’s Member of Parliament (MP) from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had appreciated her.

Talking about her politics, of late she has been vociferously defending RJD’s stand on digital platforms.

In the last few months, she has been visiting Saran and meeting key figures of the constituency. During one of her visits, she even said that if people of Saran trust her, she can contest.

How Significant This Seat Is For RJD

Winning this seat is ‘Naak ki baat’ (an issue of honour) for RJD.

Saran has been a stronghold of RJD in the past. Before the delimitation exercise of 2009, it went by the name of Chhapra Lok Sabha seat. Until 1977, Congress was dominant on the seat. Riding on an anti-emergency wave, Lalu Yadav, contesting from Janata Party,  broke the Congress' streak.

When he became chief minister in 1990, Lal Babu Rai, a candidate supported by him was elected as MP from Chhapra. 

In the 1996 general election, Rajeev Pratap Rudy of BJP ended Lalu’s dominance.

Saran is dominated by Yadavs and Rajputs, which explains the decades old tug of war between Lalu Yadav and Rajeev Pratap Rudy.

In 1990s and early 2000s, both castes were projected as sitting on the opposite ends of Mandal vs Kamandal political divide. Though the data on their accurate figures is not available, both castes are considered to have an equivalent share in voters’ base. That’s where less numerically-dominant identity groups like Bhumihars and Mahadalits gain 'kingmaker' status in Saran. 

Who’s At The Other End? 

Against RJD, BJP is expected to field its incumbent MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy. Rudy is a trained pilot, law graduate and post graduate in economics. He was union minister in Vajpayee, as well as Modi government. His political journey with the politics of Saran has been a topsy-turvy curve. 

Though he successfully breached Lalu’s fort in 1996, Rudy was beaten by Hiralal Rai in 1998, only to come back again in 1999. This time he completed his term as MP, but was beaten by Lalu Yadav in 2004 general elections. Rudy contested again in 2009 after delimitation, but Yadav had cemented his position, which he maintained until he was disqualified in 2013 on the account of conviction in the infamous fodder scam.

Rudy was returned to the Lok Sabha from Saran in 2014 and 2019 geberal elections by beating Rabri Devi and Chandrika Roy, respectively.

Victory Is Important For Rudy

For Rudy, the 2024 General Elections is crucial for reestablishing his credibility. He was given an independent charge as Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in the Modi 1.0 cabinet. Skill development was one of the key promises of Prime Minister Modi.

In mid-2017 though, Rudy was asked to resign with the Prime Minister reportedly not pleased with his handling of the department. From then on, Rudy is said to be running out of favour with the party's top leadership.

Another matter of concern for the BJP is four out of six assembly constituencies in Saran going RJD’s way.

Moreover, in April 2023, Afaq Ahmed, a candidate supported by Kishore emerged victorious from Saran legislative council seat. 

News of Rudy not being preferred for Saran in 2024 had too surfaced last year. With the sword hanging over his candidature, Rudy decided to focus more on state politics. In the midst of 2023, Rudy went on a Bihar Yatra. Interestingly, his yatras were not organised under the banner of BJP. It was interpreted as his attempt to show BJP that he can contest as an Independent.

Lately, he also started projecting himself as chief ministerial candidate for the 2025 assembly elections. Addressing a gathering in Marhaura, he had also hinted his displeasure with the party for pushing Samrat Choudhary for state presidency. Though he later changed tack. 

When asked about his achievements in Saran, Rudy says that under him, the constituency saw developmental works worth Rs 30,105 crore. Chhapra bypass six-lane, Digha-Sonpur six-lane bridge, Sherpur-Dighwara bridge on Ganga river, modern cargo terminal in Sonpur are some of key projects Rudy counts as his achievements.

Neither the NDA nor the INDI alliance have announced its candidate yet for Saran. When they do, we might have a re-run of a contest between the Lalu family and Rudy.