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Bihar Panchayat polls: Members of state's
first family jump into the fray

You are our mukhiya (village chief) because you are the father of the chief minister, the crowd shouted as Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi's father filed his nomination papers for the panchayat election scheduled for April from his native Churaman Chak village in Gopalganj district of north Bihar on Monday.

Shiv Prasad Yadav, like any other simple villager trying his luck for the first time in any election, promised to develop his panchayat.

He certainly would not face any problem in getting elected as the mukhiya. Besides being the father-in-law of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, his own sons Sadhu Yadav and Subhash Yadav are members of the state assembly and council, respectively.

Shiv Prasad was an ordinary villager until a few months back when some newspapers named him as a possible successor to Rabri Devi if she was convicted in the disproportionate assets case of the fodder scam and forced to resign.

The reason being Misa, daughter of Laloo Yadav and Rabri Devi, is not yet 25 years old and hence not eligible for that post. Under the circumstances, Shiv Prasad would be the person the ruling family would turn to.

However, the RJD dubbed the report as baseless.

Incidentally, Shiv Prasad is not the only member of Bihar's ruling family who is contesting in the panchayat elections. Laloo Yadav's younger brother Gulab Rai is a candidate for the Bairagi Tola panchayat in Gopalganj district.

And since salaas (brothers-in-law) have been playing a pivotal role in Bihar politics of late, Sadhu Yadav's salaa has also entered the fray for the post of mukhiya . Incidently, his name is also Sadhu Yadav.

Panchayat elections in Bihar are taking place after the gap of 23 years. Since 1983, successive state governments have been putting off panchayat elections fearing violence and social tension.

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