Samosa still hot, but Lalu out of Bihar's election scene

The BJP-led NDA tried its best to remind Bihar voters of the impending Jungle Raj if the RJD were to return to power under Tejashwi Yadav

- AJAY JHA

One of the famous quotes of Lalu Prasad Yadav was, "jab tak rahega samosa main aloo, tab tak rahega Bihar main Lalu" (As long as there is potato in samosa, Lalu will remain in Bihar). Bihar is still there. Potato-stuffed samosas are still being fried and sold in Bihar, but Lalu was conspicuous by his absence from electioneering as Bihar embarked on electing its 18th Legislative Assembly.

Lalu, known for his hilarious one-liners often tinged with arrogance, had coined this famous phrase at the height of his political career over three decades ago to boast about his enduring presence in Bihar politics. He rightly believed that he had cracked the election code and discovered the MY formula to keep winning elections forever. MY was still relevant in Bihar elections, though it was no longer Laloo's 'Muslim' and 'Yadav'; rather, it was 'Mahila' (women) and 'Youth', as they were identified as the decisive factors in making or unmaking the government in a state yearning for development and a break from caste-based politics.