'Bura na mano Holi hai': Lalu-style ‘kurta faad’ Holi returns in RJD's desperate bid to woo core voters as Bihar elections near

NEW DELHI:

Baba Hari Har Nath Sonepur mein khele Holi..

. A redemption of Lalu Yadav-style Holi celebration snowballed into a controversy after RJD leader and former chief minister's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav ordered a police constable to shake legs to avert his suspension.
While Bharatiya Janata Party latched on to the former minister's "prank" to remind everyone of the "Jungle Raj" era, the act could be seen as RJD's desperate attempt to woo back its rural and backward caste vote banks ahead of the assembly elections scheduled at the end of the year.

Lalu's 'kurta faad' Holi

Similar to this year's Holi celebrations, RJD supremo used to organise grand Holi gatherings where Bihar's who's who used to line up to let their kurtas be torn into pieces.
Slogan-shouting crowds and the procession of MLAs and MPs trooping in with drums and trumpets used to greet the uncrowned raja of Bihar.
Lalu Yadav’s Holi celebrations were a spectacle of Bihar's rural life, which connected directly with the core of his voter base—mainly the Dalits, OBCs, and marginalized communities. His celebrations often included vibrant processions with drum beats, slogans, and an atmosphere of joyous abandon.
This was symbolic of rural pride, and Lalu presented himself as a champion of the common man, particularly from the backward and poorer sections of society.

Election bugle for Bihar

Additionally, the state will also be diving into full-fledged election mode after Holi. Earlier during the celebration, Tej Pratap also proclaimed that Bihar has decided that Tejashwi would become chief minister after the upcoming elections.
"It has been decided that Tejashwi will be the chief minister this time, on the occasion of this Holi," Tej Pratap had said.
The political temperature of the state is already on the rise after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar lost his cool several times in the assembly of the opposition leaders.
Leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav strongly objected to the language used by Nitish Kumar for his parents and once again raised questions over Bihar chief minister's health.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party attacked Lalu's family after Tej Pratap's video surfaced. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla commented, "Like father, like son. First, the father (Lalu Yadav) - as the then CM used to make law dance to his tunes and turn Bihar into a jungle raj. Now, the son, despite being out of power, attempts to make laws and protectors of law dance to his tunes through threats and pressure."
"He threatens Police personnel with suspension if he doesn't dance. This shows that RJD believes in jungle raj. If they come to power even by mistake, they would violate law and make protectors of law dance. This is a trailer. So, it is important to keep them away from power," he added.
JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad also reacted to the video and said that such acts have no place in the environment of this changing Bihar.
"'Jungle raj' has ended but Yuvraj of Lalu Yadav is threatening a policeman about the consequences if he (the policeman) will not comply with what he is instructing (to dance)," Rajeev Ranjan Prasad said.
"Bihar has now changed. Be it Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav, or any of the family members of Lalu Yadav - they need to understand that such acts have no place in the environment of this changing Bihar," he added.