Patna: She has been chief minister for eight years, but Rabri Devi may be out of the reckoning this time with the view that only her husband and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad or partner LJP's Ram Vilas Paswan can counter Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the Bihar assembly polls.
In fact, Lalu Prasad himself has indicated that Rabri Devi is unlikely to be projected as the chief ministerial candidate for the Rashtriya Janata Dal-Lok Janshakti Party combine in the assembly elections in October-November this year.
Rabri Devi was not ready to take over as chief minister if the RJD-LJP combine comes to power, Lalu Prasad has said in several public meetings over the past few days. She told him, he said, that she had earlier become the chief minister out of compulsion.
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 was the first and only woman chief minister of Bihar.
"Rabri Devi is fed up with politics and no longer keen to take on a big responsibility. She is a gentle, simple and sober woman who was forced to took over as the chief minister in late 90s," an RJD leader told IANS.
It is not clear whether the RJD-LJP combine will project Lalu Prasad or Paswan as the chief ministerial candidate against Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Nitish Kumar.
"Lalu Prasad and Paswan know that Rabri Devi as chief ministerial candidate against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will be weak choice. Only Lalu or Paswan can counter him," another RJD leader said.
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, the RJD leader added.
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