Move Over Beef and Dal: Most Bihar Leaders Love Chuda-Dahi

Not only are their ideologies different, even the food habits of leaders in Bihar are varied, writes Neena Choudhary.

Before leaving for canvassing, Nitish prefers to have chuda and dahi (flattened rice and curd). (Photo: iStockphoto)

If you are worried over the rising price of onions and dal, don’t scream at politicians for your haywire budget. Instead take a leaf out of their book and learn how to beat inflation.

Take for example the case of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. In every rally, he would tear Narendra Modi to shreds over the escalating price of pyaaz and dal. But before leaving for canvassing, he makes sure to have food which has nothing to do with onion or pulses. Nitish prefers to have chuda-dahi (flattened rice and curd) with small quantity of jaggery or sugar.

Nitish, a vegetarian, keeps his food simple. (Photo: PTI)

Nitish, a Vegetarian

Before his healthy breakfast, Nitish does not forget to perform yoga for an hour, notwithstanding his hectic schedule. He spends his entire day canvassing, and hardly gets five to six hours of sound sleep.

While leaving for campaigning, his aides neatly pack home-made rotis, two vegetable items, curd and pickles in a lunch box before Nitish takes off in the helicopter.

After returning in the evening, Nitish prefers to have tea and bhunja/poha. (Photo: iStockphoto)

After returning in the evening, Nitish prefers to have tea and bhunja/poha (roasted grains or a dish prepared with flattened rice). For dinner too, Nitish keeps his food simple.

Most of the time, Lalu prefers chuda-dahi or roti-dahi. (Photo: PTI)

Lalu Prefers Curd

The same is the case with his immediate neighbour Lalu Prasad, who is now his alliance partner. Lalu loves curd. Most of the time, he, therefore, prefers chuda-dahi or roti-dahi.

As he leaves to canvass for his party nominees, Lalu’s aides make sure that the chopper carries his packed lunch which includes two to three vegetable items. Besides, Lalu never forgets to chew paan (betel), so a spittoon is a must. His aides say Lalu is also fond of dry fruits and munches on them quite often to keep going.

Lalu never forgets to chew paan (betel). (Photo: iStockphoto)

Fish Works for Paswan

The BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, much like Nitish, never forgets to perform yoga for an hour every day. Despite his tight schedule during electioneering, the net-savvy Modi keeps a tab on news through newspapers, Twitter and other social media. For breakfast, he keeps it light. While campaigning, roti-sabzi is always packed for him so that whenever and wherever he gets time, he can have his lunch.

Ram Vilas Paswan relishes non-vegetarian food. (Photo: PTI)

On the other hand, the food habit of LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan is diametrically opposite. He relishes non-vegetarian food, even though his doctors have advised him against the temptation of having oily foods.

His cuisine includes fish curry and rice. This despite the fact that he had suffered a heart attack ten years ago. His aides attribute his weakness for fish to Khagaria, Paswan’s ancestral place, where fish is supposed to be an integral part of the cuisine.

(The writer is a Bihar-based journalist.)