Rabri Devi files nomination papers for Bihar’s Raghopur seat

PATNA - Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi Saturday filed nomination papers for the Raghopur assembly seat ahead of the October-November elections in the state.

Clad in a deep blue-coloured sari with her trademark bindi on her forehead, Rabri Devi filed the nomination papers before the returning officer in Hajipur, the district headquarters of Vaishali, about 30 km from here.

She was accompanied by her husband and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and her son Tejasvi Yadav.

Rabri Devi will win from Raghopur and RJD and its alliance partner Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) will form the next government in Bihar by defeating Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and its alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Lalu Prasad said soon after Rabri Devi filed her nomination papers.

Rabri Devi will also file her nomination papers from the Sonepur constituency in Chhapra district Saturday afternoon. She will then address a public meeting with Lalu Prasad in Sonepur, famous across India for its cattle fair.

Early this week, Lalu Prasad announced that Rabri Devi will contest from two constituencies - Raghopur and Sonepur - in the third phase of the state assembly elections this month.

At present, Rabri Devi is the sitting legislator from Raghopur constituency.

Rabri Devi, in her mid-50s, was the chief minister from 1997 to 2005 with the active support of Lalu Prasad, who was allegedly ruling the state on her behalf. She has been the first and the only woman chief minister of Bihar so far.

Political analysts say Rabri Devi, a school dropout, is no match for engineer-turned-politician Nitish Kumar, who is widely seen as a politician with vision and acumen.

Bihar will elect its 243-member assembly in polling in six phases that begins Oct 21 and ends Nov 20. The results will be declared Nov 24.