Puja festivities prevent Lalu from finalising list of RJD ministers

Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad is still to finalise the list of ministers for his party although barely three days are left for the swearing-in ceremony of Nitish Kumar who will take oath as the chief minister of Bihar for the third consecutive time.

The swearing-in ceremony will take place at the historic Gandhi Maidan on November 20 with the governor extending a formal invitation to Kumar to form government in the state.

RJD sources said Lalu Prasad has failed to clear the names of ministers as he has been busy in observing Chhath puja, one of the biggest festivals of Hindus during which the devotees observe fast for 36 hours, maintain strict discipline at home and offers prayers to the rising and setting sun.

Reports said RJD chief has been told by his wife, former chief minister Rabri Devi, not to discuss politics at home and indulge only in religious activities until the Chhath puja is over. The result is that Lalu Prasad has not been able to finalise the list of ministers from his party which emerged as the single largest party in this election, emerging victorious at as many as 80 seats — nine more than Kumar’s Janata Dal United (JD-U) which has been in power in Bihar for the past 10 years.

As per the formula worked out for deciding the number of ministers in the Nitish Kumar cabinet, there will be one minister for every five lawmakers which means the RJD could have a maximum of 16 ministers. But the issue before Lalu Prasad is how to strike a balance among different caste groups, especially his core vote-bank, Yadavs and Muslims who voted wholeheartedly to the RJD this time. A total of 42 Yadavs and 12 Muslims have got elected on RJD tickets this time.

Apart from this, the RJD chief has also to decide how to make a balance among the loyal party leaders who stood with the party during the bad times, senior leaders as well as the children who want to prove their political prowess.

Both his sons, Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, emerged victorious on their maiden effort in politics. There is pressure on Lalu Prasad to accommodate both his sons in the new government even as he faces charges of pursuing dynastic politics.

Apart from this, Lalu Prasad’s eldest daughter Misa Bharti too has showed her political ambition by frequently indulging in politics. It was Bharti who first came out of home to greet the waiting TV news channels and give sound-bytes to them on the day of counting after her party emerged victorious in the elections.

Also, there is no decision in the RJD as to who will be the deputy chief minister and who will be the leader of the RJD Legislature Party (RJDLP). The party failed to arrive at a consensus as to who will be the leader of the elected lawmakers at its two meeting held past week, indicting the prevailing unease within the RJD. As of now, the matter to settle the issue of RJDLP leader rests with Lalu Prasad.

The Congress leadership too has not finalised the list of ministers. However, the JD-U is learnt to have finalised the list of ministers to take oath along with the chief minister on November 20.