Lok Sabha elections 2024: RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya is set to make her poll debut as she will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Saran Lok Sabha constituency, said sources. Party leaders have also hinted at this development through social media channels. Members of the Lalu family have been contesting elections from the Saran seat for a long time.
Currently, three of Lalu's children are actively involved in politics. These include his elder daughter Misa Bharti, as well as both of his sons, Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, both of whom have previously served as ministers.
It is pertinent to mention that Rohini was the one who generously donated one of her kidneys to her father when he underwent kidney transplantation surgery in a Singapore-based hospital back in December 2022.
Rohini Acharya name proposed in RJD meeting
According to sources, during a meeting of the RJD held on Sunday (March 17), RJD MLC Sunil Kumar Singh proposed Rohini's name for the Saran seat. The suggestion received unanimous agreement from all attendees.
During the meeting, Singh emphasised the strong emotional connection between the Saran seat and the Lalu family in the minds of party workers. Consequently, considering any other candidate's name was deemed inappropriate. Furthermore, Singh highlighted that the party might not garner support from other local RJD leaders in Saran if a different local candidate, such as former minister Jitendra Rai, were to be nominated. Therefore, Rohini was considered a more viable option.
Singh described Rohini as an “embodiment of immense love, devotion and dedication towards her father”. Singh who is close to the Lalu family in a Facebook post wrote, “Dr. Rohini Acharya is an embodiment of immense love, devotion and dedication towards her father. It is the heartfelt wish of all the party workers of Saran division that Dr. Rohini Acharya should be declared the candidate of Rashtriya Janata Dal from Saran Lok Sabha."
During the opposition's Jan Vishwas Rally held at Patna's Gandhi Maidan earlier this month, Rohini was spotted on the dais alongside her father, who subsequently introduced her to the gathered crowd. This action sparked speculations regarding Rohini's potential entry into politics. Rohini is known for her active presence on social media and her vocal criticism of her parents' political adversaries.
She garnered widespread admiration after selflessly donating one of her kidneys to her ailing father, whose kidney was functioning at only 25 percent capacity at the time. Her act provided her father with a renewed lease on life, touching the hearts of many.
Saran Lok Sabha seat
Saran constituency, the birthplace of Jay Prakash Narayan, holds significant political importance in Bihar. It has been considered one of the highest-profile parliamentary seats in the state. Lalu Yadav has been elected as the MP from this constituency four times, commencing his parliamentary journey here in 1977. His wife, Rabri Devi, has also contested elections from this seat.
In the 2009 elections, Lalu Yadav emerged victorious from Saran. However, following his conviction in the fodder scam, he was disqualified from contesting elections. Consequently, Rabri Devi contested from this seat in 2014. Despite this, all RJD's efforts were in vain against the Modi wave, and Rajiv Pratap Rudy secured victory, returning to parliament.
In the 2019 elections, BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy secured victory once again with 4,99,342 votes, while RJD's Chandrika Rai received 3,60,913 votes. Similarly, in 2014, Rajiv Pratap Rudy defeated RJD's Rabri Devi with 3,55,120 votes to 3,14,172 votes.
Lok Sabha elections
Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases beginning from April 19 and results will be announced on June 4. The Election Commission has said that the Lok Sabha elections will be held in 7 phases. In Bihar, voting for the first phase will begin on April 19 and voting for the seventh phase will take place on June 1.
The other phases will be on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will be held on April 19, and in Andhra Pradesh on May 13. Elections to Odisha assembly will be held in four phases on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. Bypolls will also be held for 26 assembly constituencies, Kumar said at a press conference flanked by two new Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.
