Lalu’s daughter Rohini Acharya kicks off her poll campaign in Saran
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad’s daughter Rohini Acharya kicked off her election campaign on Tuesday by holding roadshows in Saran. Though the official announcement has not been made yet, she is the presumptive RJD candidate from the Lok Sabha seat and will contest against sitting BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
Fourth child in politics
After RJD Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti, Ms. Acharya is the second daughter and the fourth of the nine children of Mr. Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi — both former Chief Ministers — to enter the political arena.
“After taking the blessing of my parents, now I am going to the people’s door,” she posted on X before taking out her roadshow.
Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary had accused Mr. Prasad of “selling” the Lok Sabha ticket to his daughter in lieu of her donation of a kidney to him.
Ms. Acharya launched her election campaign from Bajrang Chowk in Sonepur and passed through Parmanandpur, Nayagaon, Sitalpur and Dighwara.
She also offered prayers at the Maa Ambika Bhavani temple in Aami before finally culminating her roadshow at Chhapra via Doriganj.
“Rohini Acharya’s victory as the RJD candidate is certain in Saran Lok Sabha seat. Rajiv Pratap Rudy should forget his dream of scoring a hattrick,” said
RJD MLC
Singh.
After a night’s rest in Chhapra, Ms. Acharya will visit all the six Assembly constituencies that fall under the Saran Lok Sabha seat. She will be doing doortodoor campaigns apart from roadshows, Mr. Singh said, adding that she was getting a lot of public support.
Sunil Kumar
Old pocket borough
The Saran seat was once a stronghold of Mr. Prasad’s family. The RJD chief himself had won the seat, first in 1977, then in 1989, 2004, and 2009.
In 2014, however, his wife unsuccessfully contested the election from Saran; in 2019, Chandrika Rai, the father of Mr. Prasad’s daughterinlaw, was defeated by Mr. Rudy.
Both of Bihar’s Deputy
Chief Ministers, Mr. Choudhary and Mr. Vijay Kumar Sinha, slammed Mr. Prasad for giving a ticket to his daughter. “Let the people of Bihar decide who is a true Bihari. Will they go with her who is settled in Singapore?” Mr. Sinha said.
‘NDA will win all seats’
Mr. Sinha also exuded confidence that the NDA would win all 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kick off the BJP’s election campaign in Bihar from Jamui on April 4, he said.
“Till now, he has fielded two sons and two daughters in the election. He should say when he is bringing the remaining five daughters into politics,” Mr. Choudhary remarked.
Saran will go to polls in the fifth phase on May 20.