Lalu's absence in Punjab polls leaves Bihari labourers surprised

Hoshiarpur, Feb 9 (UNI) Bihari migrant labourers, who have come to form the backbone of Punjab agriculture and industry, are a bit taken aback over the non-appearence of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, who is yet to set foot on Punjab soil to canvass for the state assembly polls on February 13.

'' Kya bhai Lalu nahi arahe, Punjab ki election mei'' (Lalu is not coming to canvass for the Punjab polls), an enthusiastic Bihari quipped while listening to Bihar Revenue Minister Ram Nath Thakur and Rural Development Minister Narinder Narain Yadav address an election rally in support of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP candidates.

When told that Lalu's party, the RJD, was not contesting the elections, the Bihari was quick to point out that even the Janata Dal (United) was not in the fray, but Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and party chief Sharad Yadav had come to Punjab to woo Biharis for the SAD-BJP.

''Lalu bhi Congress ke samrthan mei ay sakte hai'' (Lalu can come in support of the Congress), another Bihari at the rally said while pointing out that the RJD was part of the Congress led UPA-government.

Even in Punjab's industrial city Ludhiana, which has a large migratory population, the Biharis are wondering when Lalu would come to Punjab. They want to hear Lalu's 'flavour' in his typical Bhojpuri dialect.

Mr Nitish Kumar, a close friend of SAD chief Prakash Singh Badal, had spent a day in Ludhiana and appealed to the electorate, particularly the migrant labourers, to vote for the SAD-BJP candidates. He had reminded the people that Punjab and Bihar had a very close association, as the tenth Sikh Guru was born in Patna.

At today's rally too, the Bihar ministers, Mr Thakur and Mr Yadav stressed on the Punjabi-Bihari linkage. '' Bihar has a major share in the economy of Punjab,'' they said while referring to the large number of Biharis, who come here to work in the agricultural and industrial sectors and go back home with money stuffed in their pockets.

They said their Chief Minister had specially sent them to Punjab to ensure the victory of the SAD-BJP alliance candidates. They also pointed out that Mr Sharad Yadav had rejected the proposal of the Punjab unit of the Janata Dal (United) to contest the polls in Punjab.

Taking a swipe at the Capt Amarinder Singh government, they claimed that the Congress government through its policies had dealt a body blow to the agricultural and industrial sectors. '' Where will you go to work if these sectors face a crisis,'' they asked the migrants present in the rally and urged those who had the voting right to exercise their franchise in favour of the SAD-BJP candidates.

''Bihar mei sab thek chal raha hai, Nitishji hai na'' ( All is going on well in Punjab as Nitish is there), they told the Biharis while bidding them farewell.

UNI