This%20will%20probably%20be%20the%20first%20assembly%20elections%20since%20the%201989%20that%20will%20be%20held%20in%20the%20absence%20of%20Lalu%20Prasad%20Yadav%2C%20the%20charismatic%20RJD%20supremo%2C%20now%20serving%20a%20jail%20sentence%20following%20his%20conviction%20in%20the%20fodder%20scam.%20This%20could%20all%20change%2C%20if%20he%20manages%20to%20get%20bail%2C%20his%20application%20will%20be%20taken%20up%20in%20the%20first%20week%20of%20October.%20It%20is%20not%20difficult%20to%20understand%20why%20the%20RJD%20is%20praying%20for%20a%20reprieve%20for%20its%20jailed%20leader.%20Without%20him%20at%20the%20helm%2C%20the%20party%20is%20a%20pale%20shadow%20of%20itself%2C%20beset%20with%20problems%20and%20struggling%20to%20remain%20relevant.
Lalu%20Yadav%20has%20his%20faults%20and%20is%20paying%20for%20them%20but%20he%20is%20without%20doubt%20one%20of%20the%20most%20powerful%20political%20communicators%20in%20the%20country%20with%20his%20earthy%20rustic%20mannerisms%20and%20turn%20of%20phrase.%20He%20has%20the%20unmatched%20ability%20within%20his%20party%20to%20speak%20to%20his%20core%20supporters%20in%20the%20language%20and%20idiom%20that%20they%20understand%20and%20get%20them%20to%20relate%20to%20him%2C%20something%20that%20his%20sons%20have%20conspicuously%20failed%20to%20do.
He%20knows%20the%20lay%20of%20the%20land%20in%20Bihar%20like%20few%20others%20do%2C%20and%20having%20travelled%20with%20him%20extensively%20during%20elections%20both%20by%20car%20and%20in%20a%20chopper%20I%20can%20testify%20to%20that.
During%20the%202015%20assembly%20elections%2C%20I%20spent%20a%20day%20travelling%20with%20him%20in%20his%20chopper.%20At%20one%20point%20during%20the%20day%20the%20pilot%20realised%20he%20did%20not%20have%20the%20correct%20coordinates%20of%20the%20meeting%20venue%20and%20twice%20landed%20at%20the%20wrong%20place.%20Fed%20up%2C%20Lalu%20took%20charge.%20He%20knew%20the%20topography%20of%20the%20area%20like%20the%20back%20of%20his%20hand%2C%20and%20directed%20the%20pilot%20to%20exactly%20where%20the%20meeting%20was%20being%20held.%20Throughout%20the%20day%20he%20kept%20pointing%20out%20three%20villages%20we%20were%20flying%20over%20and%20also%20related%20some%20anecdotes%20or%20events%20connected%20to%20the%20place.
Lalu%u2019s%20ability%20to%20work%20the%20crowds%20and%20light%20up%20election%20gatherings%20through%20his%20turn%20of%20phrase%20and%20rhetorical%20skills%20borders%20on%20the%20exceptional.%20In%20the%202015%20assembly%20elections%20in%20Bihar%20in%20meeting%20after%20meeting%20he%20almost%20single%20handedly%20sliced%20into%20both%20Modi%20and%20Amit%20Shah%20making%20a%20mockery%20of%20their%20promises%20of%20the%20state.%20Their%20key%20to%20hide%20popularity%20amongst%20his%20supporters%20is%20his%20steadfast%20commitment%20to%20their%20cause.
In%20addition%20to%20the%20huge%20support%20he%20enjoys%20amongst%20people%20of%20his%20caste%2C%20the%20Yadav%u2019s%2C%20even%20the%20minorities%20swear%20by%20him%20and%20have%20consistently%20voted%20for%20him%20even%20when%20he%20has%20not%20been%20in%20power.%20He%20first%20earned%20their%20loyalty%20and%20support%20following%20his%20decision%20to%20arrest%20LK%20Advani%20in%20Samastipur%20during%20the%20rath%20yatra%20to%20Ayodhya%20and%20remains%20one%20of%20the%20few%20leaders%20who%20has%20never%20compromised%20with%20the%20BJP.
Lalu%20Prasad%20Yadav%20has%20carried%20not%20just%20the%20RJD%20but%20also%20the%20UPA%20on%20his%20shoulders%20in%20Bihar.%20He%20stood%20by%20the%20Congress%2C%20especially%20Sonia%20Gandhi%20in%201998%20when%20she%20made%20her%20debut%20into%20politics.%20The%20two%20share%20a%20remarkable%20rapport%20that%20has%20been%20the%20key%20to%20the%20two%20parties%20remaining%20allies%20both%20in%20Bihar%20and%20at%20the%20Centre.%20It%27s%20no%20secret%20that%20he%20does%20not%20share%20the%20same%20equation%20with%20Rahul%20Gandhi%20and%20has%20still%20not%20forgiven%20him%20for%20spiking%20the%20Manmohan%20Singh%20government%20to%20provide%20him%20a%20lifeline%20by%20bringing%20in%20an%20ordinance%20to%20save%20him%20from%20incarceration.
There%20is%20however%20more%20to%20Lalu%20yadav%20than%20just%20his%20ability%20to%20make%20people%20laugh%20%2C%20behind%20his%20rustic%20demeanour%20lies%20an%20astute%20politician.%20During%20the%20last%20assembly%20elections%20he%20latched%20on%20to%20a%20remark%20made%20by%20the%20RSS%20chief%20saying%20that%20the%20time%20had%20come%20to%20review%20reservations.%20Lalu%20quickly%20turned%20it%20into%20an%20election%20issue%2C%20alleging%20that%20if%20the%20BJP%20is%20voted%20to%20power%2C%20it%20would%20do%20away%20with%20reservations%20for%20the%20OBC%u2019s.%20The%20BJP%20ended%20up%20paying%20a%20huge%20political%20price%20for%20that%20remark.
Lalu%20Yadav%u2019s%20release%20from%20jail%2C%20if%20it%20happens%2C%20will%20not%20just%20breathe%20some%20new%20life%20into%20the%20RJD%20and%20the%20UPA%2C%20it%20could%20turn%20this%20election%20into%20a%20real%20contest.
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