lalu Prasad’s conviction in the fodder scam will give a severe blow to the RJD, which has registered a steady decline in the last decade after dominating Bihar politics for nearly 15 years.
The RJD was in power in the State when it faced the 2004 general election and posted its best ever performance. Out of 40 seats it contested, the RJD won 24 and polled over 93.83 lakh votes. In the next parliamentary election in 2009 when the party was not in power in Bihar, it could win just four of 40 seats its contested and polled just 52.80 lakh votes.