The politics of 'working from jail'

Lalu Prasad and Jayalalithaa took a similar approach when facing arrest, but Arvind Kejriwal is contemplating a rather unconventional path

In his biography, Lalu Prasad describes the events leading to his arrest in the fodder scam. It was July 1997. A few weeks earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had announced it had enough evidence to frame charges against him. M Karunanidhi, Tamil Nadu chief minister in 1997, counselled he should resign. Then Congress president Sitaram Kesri planted the idea that his (Lalu’s) wife, Rabri Devi, could become chief minister instead. A R Kidwai, then Bihar governor, said he needed someone as chief minister: It would be practically impossible for Lalu to function if the court were to refuse