In Bihar, RJD in reckoning but Lalu Prasad is being missed
The presence of Lalu Prasad, known for his witty repartee and rustic mannerism, which made campaigning a lively affair, is being sorely missed this time.
The RJD supremo is serving sentences in fodder scam cases and lodged in a Ranchi hospital for a number of ailments.
The inimitable RJD supremo, whose party symbol lantern brings the promise of dispelling darkness, is known to lighten up the tedium associated with elections, often leaving in splits even those at the receiving end of his jibes.
People still recall the kind of banter he had brought to the atmosphere during the assembly polls of 2015, when he took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was firing on all cylinders during campaigning.
The polls were fought along with his arch rival Nitish Kumar - who headed the JD(U) as the chief ministerial candidate - but the imprint of Lalu, ailing and disqualified from contesting elections himself, was unmistakable.
Who else could have dismissed prime minister at one panel discussion ..