Rabri Devi was catapulted from her kitchen straight to the corridors of power when she took her oath as Bihar chief minister in 1997. Years on, the timid housewife has become an astute politician as far as talking politics is concerned, feels Alok KN Mishra after a tête-à-tête with RJD boss Lalu Prasad's missus. Excerpts:
You have been electioneering a lot and meeting people. What's the poll outcome going to be like?
There is widespread anger among the electorate against the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government. Benefits of welfare programmes — haven't be it of the state government or the Centre — haven't reached those who need them the most. Corruption is rampant at all levels of the administration. People desperately want to get rid of this government and vote RJD to power. RJD is all set to emerge as the single largest party. There's a wave in our favour.
Lalu Prasad has projected himself as the chief minister and a minority community leader as his deputy, if RJD-LJP alliance is voted to power. What will be your role then?
Without a government post, I will have more time to work for the people who have been neglected, marginalized and cheated by the Nitish-Modi dispensation.
Why shouldn't people vote for NDA?
There are many reasons. NDA government is not trustworthy. It has cheated its own people, including Prabhunath Singh. It is not for nothing that Sama Praveen, wife of JD-U's Begusarai MP Monazir Hassan, is contesting on RJD ticket from Munger.
More importantly, the NDA government failed to bring in industrial investments. The tentacles of Maoism are spreading fast and almost the entire Bihar is now affected by Naxal violence. So poor has been the law and order situation that women, including foreigners, are being molested in the state in broad daylight. Most of the women I speak to, express a strange sense of fear.
Why should people vote for RJD-LJP alliance?
This alliance is the voice of the poor. Laluji has a vision with which he transformed the loss-making railways. The same vision will be applied to transform Bihar. As railway minister, Laluji brought investments worth Rs 55,000 crore to the state. Further investments will provide jobs to hundreds of hands and the state will grow.
Do you think it would have been better had the Congress been RJD's ally?
Congress wants to remove the poor, not poverty. It is a dubious party. It is responsible for skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. We do not want alliance of any kind with such a party.
You have parted ways with Sadhu Yadav and Subash Yadav with whom you share blood relations. Will you allow your brothers back in the RJD if the party is voted to power?
I have already made my stand clear about Sadhu and Subhash. (Good riddance, Rabri had said when they left RJD.) No further comments. I do not even think about them now.
Your younger son, Tejaswi, has made his political debut. Do you want him to be a politician like his father or a cricketer like Sachin Tendulkar?
All of 21 years, he is a child. Like every child (worker) of RJD, he is just trying to become the voice of the poor. As of now, he has not made a political debut. He likes playing cricket and will be doing that. He will certainly join politics when the time is appropriate.
You are a woman and also not quite literate. How big a handicap is this?
Sahar sikhaye kotwal (experience teaches). I was given the responsibility of chief ministership at a critical time. I successfully carried out the responsibility.
You claim to be popular. Why are you contesting from two places?
I'm not contesting from two constituencies because I feel insecure. Nor do I claim to be popular. Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi claim they are popular. I decided to contest from two constituencies to
challenge the duo. I had dared them to test their popularity against me if they had the guts. But they didn't accept the challenge. In fact, they are not contesting the elections.
You have been electioneering a lot and meeting people. What's the poll outcome going to be like?
There is widespread anger among the electorate against the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government. Benefits of welfare programmes — haven't be it of the state government or the Centre — haven't reached those who need them the most. Corruption is rampant at all levels of the administration. People desperately want to get rid of this government and vote RJD to power. RJD is all set to emerge as the single largest party. There's a wave in our favour.
Lalu Prasad has projected himself as the chief minister and a minority community leader as his deputy, if RJD-LJP alliance is voted to power. What will be your role then?
Without a government post, I will have more time to work for the people who have been neglected, marginalized and cheated by the Nitish-Modi dispensation.
Why shouldn't people vote for NDA?
There are many reasons. NDA government is not trustworthy. It has cheated its own people, including Prabhunath Singh. It is not for nothing that Sama Praveen, wife of JD-U's Begusarai MP Monazir Hassan, is contesting on RJD ticket from Munger.
More importantly, the NDA government failed to bring in industrial investments. The tentacles of Maoism are spreading fast and almost the entire Bihar is now affected by Naxal violence. So poor has been the law and order situation that women, including foreigners, are being molested in the state in broad daylight. Most of the women I speak to, express a strange sense of fear.
Why should people vote for RJD-LJP alliance?
This alliance is the voice of the poor. Laluji has a vision with which he transformed the loss-making railways. The same vision will be applied to transform Bihar. As railway minister, Laluji brought investments worth Rs 55,000 crore to the state. Further investments will provide jobs to hundreds of hands and the state will grow.
Do you think it would have been better had the Congress been RJD's ally?
Congress wants to remove the poor, not poverty. It is a dubious party. It is responsible for skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. We do not want alliance of any kind with such a party.
You have parted ways with Sadhu Yadav and Subash Yadav with whom you share blood relations. Will you allow your brothers back in the RJD if the party is voted to power?
I have already made my stand clear about Sadhu and Subhash. (Good riddance, Rabri had said when they left RJD.) No further comments. I do not even think about them now.
Your younger son, Tejaswi, has made his political debut. Do you want him to be a politician like his father or a cricketer like Sachin Tendulkar?
All of 21 years, he is a child. Like every child (worker) of RJD, he is just trying to become the voice of the poor. As of now, he has not made a political debut. He likes playing cricket and will be doing that. He will certainly join politics when the time is appropriate.
You are a woman and also not quite literate. How big a handicap is this?
Sahar sikhaye kotwal (experience teaches). I was given the responsibility of chief ministership at a critical time. I successfully carried out the responsibility.
You claim to be popular. Why are you contesting from two places?
I'm not contesting from two constituencies because I feel insecure. Nor do I claim to be popular. Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi claim they are popular. I decided to contest from two constituencies to
challenge the duo. I had dared them to test their popularity against me if they had the guts. But they didn't accept the challenge. In fact, they are not contesting the elections.
Alok K N Mishra is a journalist with the Times of India. he can be contacted at alokmishra.co@gmail.com.
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