Rabri Devi files papers for Raghopur, Sonepur seats

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

Wearing a deep blue-coloured sari and her trademark sindoor in hair parting, Rabri Devi filed the nomination papers before the returning officer in Hajipur, the district headquarters of Vaishali, about 30 km from here.

She later filed nomination papers for Sonepur seat, famous for cattle fair across India.

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

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

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

Lalu Prasad last Tuesday dared Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi to contest the state assembly elections against Rabri Devi.

He took on his political rivals a day after Modi, who is the chairman of the BJP election campaign committee, commented on the RJD’s decision to field Rabri Devi from two constituencies.

Modi said the decision reflected Lalu Prasad’s lack of confidence in voters.

Both Nitish Kumar and Modi last month decided not to contest the assembly polls as they were members of the legislative council.

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.