IIPM business magazine and section Economy: LALU BAN GAYA GENTLEMAN

Friday, May 07, 2010

LALU BAN GAYA GENTLEMAN

Lalu Prasad Yadav, President, RJD

At a time when ‘Hum Do Hamare Do’ has almost become the national anthem, Lalu Yadav, father of nine, has made himself a top selling political brand – with a national awareness (by playing to the gallery) and great performance (of turning around Indian Railways) across categories (of voters, we mean!).

While for a large part of the so-called ‘intelligentsia’, Lalu’s perceptual transformation came post the turnaround of Indian Railways, for the masses, Lalu’s charisma is not new. They’ve been laughing for years at his Hema Malini jokes, rustic posturing and deliberately cultivated joker-like image, and loving every moment of it. Agrees political commentator, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, “He’s the most astute, media-savvy politician. He’s used the amazingly device of smiling at the people who are laughing at him to emerge as a loved and popular celebtrity.”

Despite his questionable tenure as Bihar’s unquestionable CM and bossman during the 90s, sordid tales about his involvement in the Rs.1,950 crore fodder scam and allegations of nepotism when he propped up wife Rabri as Bihar’s CM, Lalu is one regional politician who has acquired national (even global) stature. Today, he spends his free time addressing hundreds of students from Harvard & Wharton, and has invitations from 8 Ivy League schools for lectures. All this even as rural India continues to sell ‘Lalu’ branded mangoes, firecrackers, dolls, rakhis, chocolates, fodder & even cosmetics! Now how’s that for brand appeal?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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