Opinion: Lalu Yadav Anoints Rahul Gandhi As "Dulha" Of Opposition Unity

In ancient India, courts had a jester, Vidushak, a person who delivered subtle messages entwined with entertainment. Lalu Prasad Yadav donned that mantle while delivering the concluding remarks at the 15-party conclave in Patna. The BJP's constant refrain about the unity bid initiated by Nitish Kumar was, "Inka dulha kaun hai? (who is their bridegroom?)" The lack of a central face in the non-BJP ranks, referred to as the "Opposition", was thus underscored. Lalu Yadav's ludicrous comment on Rahul Gandhi's beard - with a reference to Narendra Modi - and his advice, "aap dulha baniye, hum sab baraat mein chalengey (you become the bridegroom, we shall be part of the wedding procession)" was said both in jest and in gravity. At one go Lalu Yadav provided a reply to the BJP and also ensured that Nitish Kumar, who was at the centre stage being the convenor and the host of the June 23 confabulation, was not projected as the kingpin.

As things stand, Rahul Gandhi, after his conviction and subsequent disqualification, is out of the race in 2024. (Unless he gets a reprieve in the courts, where his appeal is pending.) Therefore, using him as a pivot for unity does not chagrin those in the non-Congress parties who have reservations about his abilities. His image of not being a serious, 24X7 politician, has changed somewhat after his Bharat Jodo Yatra. As the participants in Patna pointed out, the conclave was attended by representatives from "Kanyakumari to Kashmir" - all the states through which the Yatra had traversed were represented in Patna.

Lalu Yadav is the Phantom of the solidarity move, which germinated in a meeting he had with Sonia Gandhi on September 25 last. He was accompanied by Nitish Kumar, who had then recently severed his ties with the BJP. This was Lalu's first political engagement after he had been taken ill, which left him out of circulation for many months. Thereafter, he went to Singapore for his kidney transplant. The unity effort was amplified after he returned in February. Nitish Kumar was accompanied by Lalu's son and successor, Tejashwi Yadav, whenever he met with leaders across the country to extend an invite.

This was Lalu's first political appearance after he recouped. In the meeting with Sonia Gandhi in September, it had been decided that Nitish Kumar would play a role in reconciling differences between the Congress and some regional parties with which it has been at loggerheads traditionally. The Friday meeting was the initial step towards the fruition of that effort. Lalu Yadav as Bihar's Chief Minister had stopped Lal Krishna Advani's Rath Yatra in 1990. Though that ultimately could not stall the rise and rise of the BJP, even now Lalu feels that he has a role in filibustering the saffron party's juggernaut. In this, he assigns a pivotal role to the Congress. His surreal eulogy for Rahul Gandhi at Patna was an indication of that gameplan.