Difficult to impress young electorate: Rai

JAMSHEDPUR: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will find it difficult to cash in on its chief Lalu Prasad's popularity as the youth in the country are saying no to corruption and pinning hopes on alternative politics, as is evident in Delhi that saw the rise of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), feels senior BJP leader Saryu Rai.
For Lalu, who was convicted by a special CBI court in the multi-crore fodder scam, it will not be easy to reach out to youngsters and first-time voters, according to Rai.
The BJP leader had exposed the fodder scam in 1994 and moved a petition against Lalu in February 1996 when the former was the saffron party's state general secretary in undivided Bihar.
"Though Lalu Prasad will make an effort to project himself as the victim of political rivalry, the fact is socio-political atmosphere in India is changing, and Bihar is not out of it. It will be difficult for him (Lalu) to pull young voters who are desperately looking for viable options to get rid of tainted politicians post AAP success," Rai told TOI on Friday.
The Muslim-Yadav vote bank of RJD in Bihar and Jharkhand will also be affected as youths, irrespective of caste and community, will rally behind a political leader with a clean image, according to Rai.
"Equally important is that the opposition parties need to carry out sustained campaign to tell voters about the ramifications of potential return of the likes of Lalu Yadav to electoral politics," added Rai.
The former Union minister and ex-chief minister of Bihar, lodged in Birsa Muda jail in Ranchi in fodder scam, secured bail from Supreme Court on Friday.
Lalu's Rashtriya Janata Dal is a prominent political force in Bihar and has a sizeable presence in considerable Assembly segments in Jharkhand. Currently, RJD is a partner in the Hemant Soren government in the mineral rich state.
Notwithstanding the Muslim-Yadav support base of the RJD in the two states, Rai, a former MLC in undivided Bihar, said the first time voters and relatively young voters of the traditional support base of the RJD are keen to rally behind someone who has a clean image.
"I repeat, mindset of the young voters, regardless of their caste and community, is changing and they are willing to elect people of clean image provided they get a viable option, now it is up to the opposition parties to prop up such politicians who stay up to the aspirations of these voters," said Rai, a Jharkhand MLA.
The 66-year-old RJD leader was arrested in September after being found guilty of embezzling government funds while he was Bihar Chief Minister. He was sent to jail for five years.