State yet not producing babalog

Bihar is unlikely to have its own ‘Rahul Gandhi' in the near future. For, sons of key players of state politics Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan have shown practically no interest in stepping into the shoes of their fathers. Their interest lies in Hollywood, cricket and other fields even as their fathers slog it out to keep their mass base intact.

Tall and handsome Chirag carries the air of filmstar and not the computer engineer he is. "I have kept him away from public glare so that I can use him some day," said his father and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan jokingly when asked if his son would join politics.

However, Chirag appeared to have no inclination towards politics. "I do not intend to join politics. At least for the moment," he said. Chirag's future plan goes towards Hollywood. Already, he has been offered lead roles by film producers and directors.

Paswan, too, appears resigned to the fact that his son will join "films". "If Chirag wants to become an actor, I will not oppose it. He is mature enough to take his own decisions," Paswan said.

Lalu Prasad's two sons — Tej Pratap and Tejashwi — have also chosen to remain aloof from politics. The younger son Tejashwi has his interests in cricket and his elder brother loves horse riding. Although they have accompanied their parents in political activities, they stay away from public glare.

About five years ago, during the run-up to a party sponsored rally held in Patna, an over enthusiastic RJD supporter painted a hoarding green to herald Tej Pratap as the ‘yuwa samrath' (king of youths) of Bihar. Lalu and Rabri Devi were furious about their son's name being dragged for a political activity.

However, the RJD chief has used his son's achievements during political speeches. In an election meeting held in Vaishali, he happily chirped that the cricket team led by his son Tejashwi had defeated the team which had the now Bihar's deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi's son as a bowler. He announced that he would repeat the performance of his son in polls. But he lost.

The son of CM Nitish Kumar and an engineering student Nishant is an intensely private person. Most people saw him for the first time on TV when news channels were covering his mother's death. He has never been spotted at public functions attended by his father.

However, the followers of these leaders have not given up hope.

"You can always expect the unexpected to happen," said a senior JD(U) leader pointing out that former CM Jagannath Mishra's son, UK-educated Nitish Mishra, made a late entry into politics. Even Congress MP Nikhil Kumar followed his father former CM S N Sinha's footsteps after retiring as an IPS officer. Bihar has a tradition of sons following their father's footsteps. Followers of political leaders are hopeful that the sons of these leaders will not disappoint them despite their lack of interest in politics for the present.