Bihari Babu's Bluff

When he was chief minister, his potential for mischief was limited. Bihar had reached the point of no return, so what could Laloo do to further aggravate its condition? We were insulated from his heavy hand. Sadly, he is now out of power in Bihar and a cabinet minister to boot. Thus, his imprint currently has national implications—and with Patna out of his grasp he has time on his hands not to entertain us but to frighten us. There's no rule he will not break, no institution he will not denigrate, no charge he will not fabricate to achieve his twin objectives: win back the gaddi in Patna and mount onslaughts against the BJP. His behaviour at the railway crash site in Gujarat where the deceased were swiftly forgotten and all media attention diverted to publicise an exaggerated "death threat", and last week's shameful assault on one of India's proudest constitutional bodies—the Election Commission—should make all of us who champion him think again. Of course, he has 24 MPs and could bring down the UPA, but he knows what will follow will ensure that he stays permanently in jail. Laloo has nowhere to go. It's time we called his bluff.

Mr L.P. Yadav is an extraordinarily shrewd and intelligent politician. No one, not even his opponents, doubt that. Someone needs to take him aside and gently but firmly remind him that he is fast alienating his support among India's secular middle class. Who is the person who can whisper sense into Laloo's ear? I don't have a clue.