Jagannath Mishra’s acquittal robs BJP of political advantage

The December 23 conviction of RJD chief Lalu Prasad in a fodder scam case came as a big relief to the BJP-led government at the Centre as well as the CBI as it followed two adverse court rulings in two consecutive days.

The Narendra Modi government had to face a lot of embarrassment after December 21 and 22 judgements in 2G Spectrum and Adarsh housing apartment cases. Had these two rulings gone in favour of the CBI, it would have given a big boost to the BJP.

Yet, politically speaking, there is little scope for the BJP to cheer about after the Ranchi CBI court ruling in the fodder scam. What the saffron party fears most is that the RJD would exploit the situation created after the acquittal of former chief minister DrJagannath Mishra and conviction of Lalu Prasad in the same case.

The court might have found valid reasons in giving such a ruling, but the RJD has started conveying the message that LaluYadav was convicted in the case because he comes from a backward caste and is a messiah of the poor who always opposed the BJP while Dr Mishra was acquitted because he was a Brahmin, who had sometimes back joined hands with the BJP.

Dr Mishra, a former Congress stalwart, had a few years back, joined the JD(U) and his son Nitish Mishra was even made a minister in the NDA government.

But when Nitish Kumar made Jitan Ram Manjhi the chief minister of Bihar after May 2014 Lok Sabha debacle, it was Dr Mishra, who was said to be behind Manjhi’s rebellion against Nitish. It needs to be reminded that in the past both Dr Mishra and Manjhi were in the Congress.

After this rebellion Dr Mishra fell from grace of Nitish Kumar. His son joined the BJP on the eve of November 2015 Assembly election and got ticket from Jhanjharpur, the seat represented five times by his father between 1972 and 1990. He, however, lost to Gulab Yadav of RJD.

The BJP had absolutely no problem in giving ticket to the son of fodder scam tainted Dr Mishra, who now does not miss any opportunity in showering praise on PM Narendra Modi.

Incidentally, the BJP also inducted into its fold Amit Rana, the son of another fodder scam convict Dr R K Rana.

Needless to say, Narendra Modi had in 2013––when he was the Gujarat CM––welcomed none else but Lalu Prasad’s brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav in Ahmedabad.

Thus, after Saturday’s ruling the RJD has got yet another opportunity now to claim that once anyone joins the BJP he is clear of all the sins.

However, much depends on how the RJD uses this situation as there is no dearth of people who were a bit surprised by the acquittal of Dr Mishra and conviction of Lalu Prasad as in another fodder scam case in September 2013 both of them were convicted––Lalu for five years and Dr Mishra for four years. The only difference is that Dr Mishra was then in Janata Dal (United), which had snapped its ties with the BJP on June 16 the same year.

Had both Lalu and Dr Mishra been convicted or acquitted, the RJD would not have been in the position to make political capital out of it.

As the court ruling came just a few hours after the Enforcement Directorate filed chargesheet in Patiala House Court against Lalu’s eldest daughter Misa Bharati and son-in-law, Sailesh, the RJD is questioning the timing of both the developments.

Lalu had already spent 365 days in jail in the past six times. The situation is somewhat different now. Be it in Jharkhand, Bihar and Centre the government is against him. When the first time he went to jail in the then undivided Bihar he went to Beur Jail in Patna leaving behind the government in the hands of totally inexperienced wife Rabri Devi.

But there is another difference. Unlike in the past Lalu has two grown up sons to hold the party together––at least till they themselves face the heat of the CBI.

Earlier, there were two brothers-in-law (salas), who used to manage the show. They brought more discredit than did anything good to him. They later deserted him.

It depends on the way the two young sons behave and how much faith the senior party leaders repose on them, especially on the younger one, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.