The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Rohini Acharya, kidney donor of dad Lalu, set for poll debut
Rohini becomes fourth of Lalu and Rabri’s 9 children to enter politics
THERE IS an interesting story on how Rohini Acharya, second of seven daughters of former Bihar chief ministers Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi, got her name.
She was born in 1979 in the Hindu cal end ar’ s“ro hi nina ks hat ra” under the care of the Pat na ba sedgy na ecologist Dr Kamala Acharya. Dr Acharya had refused to take fees from Lalu Prasad. But Lalu insisted. Dr Acharya asked him if he can give her surname to his daughter. Lalu agreed — and named her new-born Rohini Acharya.
Barring her and their eldest sister Misa Bharati, Rohini’s other sisters and two brothers — Tej Pr at apy ad av and tejashwip ra sad Yadav — have kept the family’s Yadav surname.
Eve rs inc er oh in id on ate done of her kidneys to her father in December 2022 at a Singapore hospital, therjd president seldom misses to mention his daughter's “great gesture” at various public platforms.
When he introduced her during the RJD’S Jan Vishwas Maha Rally at patna’ s gandhi maid an on 3 March, it had become clear Rohini was going to take the plunge in the Lok Sabha polls.
RJD has made it clear she will be party’s candidate from Saran, the seat represented by Lalu Prasad earlier. She becomes the fourth among Lalu and Rabri’s nine children to enter politics after Misa, Tej Pratap and Tejashwi.
RJD sources said Rohini was the party’s “unanimous choice” for the Saran seat with all members of Lalu family favouring it.
Ro hi ni, who also did her mbbs like mis a, did not take up the medical profession. After getting married to Samresh Singh,a software engineer from Icchanbigha near Patna, in 2002, she settled down in the us with her husband before shifting to Singapore, where they now live with their two children.
Her wedding celebrations had triggered a controversy as some of Lalu’s kin were alleged to have forcibly taken out brand new cars from their Patna showrooms to the city airport to receive the bridegroom Samresh Singh, his father and ex-income Tax commissioner rao ran vi jays ingh, and their “baraat”.
There had been speculation in 2017 on Rohini being sent to the Rajya Sabha, but she stayed away from active politics. However, active on social media over the last five years, she hails or defends her father or brother Tejashwi.
Her social media posts on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s “wavering ideology” just before his latest switch to the Bjp-led NDA camp in January were claimed to have acted as a“trigger” for ni tish’ s exit from the Mahagathbandhan.
As Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary Friday attacked Lalu, alleging he “sold Saran ticket to Rohini in lieu of her kidney donation”, Rohini rose to defend herself and the RJD. She highlighted her “selfless love” for her father, criticising people with "petty mentality" without mentioning Samrat's name.
She said on X: “Giving my one kidney to my father is my duty and my love for him.Ro hi ni is readyto sacrifice her life for her family and for land of her birth Bihar.”
Rohini’s stature in Lalu family has gone several notches up after she donated her kidney to her father.when she visited pat na to attend Lalu’s 74 th birth anniversary on 11 June 2023, barely six monthsafter his kidney transplant. she told reporters: “Serving my parents and doing something for them is equal to doing ya tr a off our places of pilgrimage”. Her social media posts regularly make referencesto socialist icons and the social justice issue.
On the birth anniversary of Rammanohar Lohia on Saturday, she stated: “I pay my homage to timeless personality dr ram man oh ar Lohia on his anniversary for giving direction to politics based on equality and humanity.”
Responding to allegations he was promoting his family in politics, la lu had told the 3 march rally “Pm na rend ra mo di has no family. One who has family alone can promote them”. This led to a counterattack from BJP in the form of “Modi Ka Privar” campaign.
Defending Rohini, a senior RJD leader said, “If one keeps family equations aside, Rohini Acharya is the best party candidate from Saran in the prevailing political situation”. So far, Lalu has given the RJD tickets to 9 candidates in Bihar, including former don Ashok Mahato’s wife Kumari Anita from Munger.
Lalu’s unilateral move has upset the RJD’S INDIA allies like the Congress as they have yet to reach a seat-sharing pact for the state’s 40 constituencies.