The Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar is abuzz with talks that party chief Lalu Prasad is likely to field two of his daughters in the Lok Sabha election.
Mr. Prasad could field eldest daughter Misa Bharti from Patliputra seat again and second daughter Rohini Acharya from Saran, said party sources. If Ms. Acharya contests the poll, she will be the sixth member of Lalu’s family to enter politics after Mr. Prasad, wife Rabri Devi, elder daughter Ms. Bharti and sons Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav. Singapore-based Ms. Acharya had donated one of her kidneys to Mr. Prasad in December 2022 and since then has been active on social media on issues regarding her parents and the party. She was also present on the dais along with Mahagathbandhan leaders during the recently held Jan Vishwas rally in Patna on March 4, 2024. At the rally, Mr. Prasad formally introduced Ms. Acharya to the gathered partymen, saying she had saved his life by donating her kidney.
Ms. Acharya will likely face BJP’s sitting MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy at Saran. With a sizeable Yadav population, Saran has been a RJD stronghold and Mr. Prasad had represented the seat several times. Mr. Prasad was MP from Saran Lok Sabha constituency till 2013 when he got disqualified following conviction in a fodder scam case. Later, Mr. Rudy defeated a RJD candidate and became the constituency’s MP.
