Everyone trying to woo Independents

PATNA: It pays to be independent rightnow, for it is not every day in this Lalu-dominated state to see a fewlegislators wield so much influence and power as to have political formationsvirtually eating out of their hands."If Ram Vilas Paswan holds thekey to formation of the next government, so do the 17 newly-elected IndependentMLAs. Everybody has included them in his list of supporters," remarked RamBihari Thakur, nephew of Hari Bhushan Thakur, the independent MLA from Bisfiassembly constituency in Madhubani district. The nephew is both happy and amusedat the attention his uncle is getting as he rattles off the names of leaders ofrival camps calling on Hari Bhushan Thakur every hour.Thakur isbasically a BJP man, who revolted against his party to win as an independent."He enjoys the respect of nine other independent MLAs," the nephew added. The 17independent MLAs are obviously enjoying the attention. "All parties shouldsupport independents to form the government. It will mean a smaller sizedministry and saving money for the people of Bihar," remarked Thakur, who isputting up in a non-descript hotel in the city. Most of the independents havepreferred to stay in similar hotels.At least one MLA, TarkeshwarSingh from Masrakh, is in jail. The visit by RJD strongman Mohd Shahabuddin toBuxar jail has kicked off a row. "I may not be a strongman. But I can certainlytake care of myself," said Kishore Kumar Munna, another independent, stressingthat threats would not work.Already, there are reports aboutastronomical sums being offered to the legislators. The story doing the roundsis that Rs 3 crore is being dangled before an independent MLA for his support."That is rubbish. Not a single person has come to me with offers of money,"remarked independent MLA from Muzaffarpur Bijendra Chaudhary. Chaudhary insistedthat it was the duty of the independents to implement the mandate of the people."This time the mandate is definitely against the RJD," he said.OnThursday, at least six independent MLAs revealed their cards. A meeting chairedby Jagdish Sharma (Ghosi) was attended by Kishore Kumar Munna, Ramdev Rai,Nagendra Singh, Hari Bhushan Thakur and Bijendra Chauhdary. "We have decided tooppose Lalu''s efforts to install an RJD-led government," Chaudhary said,insisting that there were a few other independents who would jointhem.JD(U) MP Prabhunath Singh said independent MLAs had their owncompulsions to support one group or the other. "There will be almost a verticalsplit," he predicted.Incidentally, the husband-wife team - KaushalYadav and Purnima Yadav, who contested as rebel RJD candidates in Nawadadistrict, have so far refused to reveal their leanings. So has a former RJD MLAand now independent legislator from Chapra, Lal Babu Rai. "Quite afew of them are waiting for the appropriate time when they can be sure that theformation they back will form the government. Wooing them has become difficultthis time," conceded an RJD MP.After the polls in 2000, Nitish Kumarwas successful in wooing as many as eight independent MLAs. However, after hisgovernment fell, most of them backed the Rabri government. The winner takes all,as goes the saying.