The RJD has 25, the Congress five and LJP four MPs while the NDA has only six in the current Lok Sabha.

So far the Rajya Sabha MPs are concerned the performance of the new MPs: Janata Dal (United)’s, Ali Anwar (51.85), RJD’s Jabir Husain (55.90) and Rajniti Prasad (24.97 per cent) is much below the old MPs. However, for the reason best known to him the other new MP, Sharad Yadav, who is also the Janata Dal (United) national President has not spent a single penny till January 31, 2008. So is the case with the R K Dhawan of Congress. But there are some success stories too. For example Ram Deo Bhandari of the RJD has, so far, spent 100.04 per cent of his total MPLAD fund.

With 98.04 per cent George Fernandes, Janata Dal (United) MP from Muzaffarpur, tops the list of Lok Sabha MPs. Close to him is the Union minister of state, Kanti Singh (RJD MP from Ara), who has so far spent 97.97 per cent while RJD’s Sukhdev Paswan, 96.49
per cent stood third. Ram Kripal Yadav of the same party from Patna is fourth (95.29 per cent) and Girdhari Yadav, also of the RJD, with 95.09 per cent close fifth. He represents Banka.

Surprisingly, Nalanda parliamentary constituency, till a few months back represented by chief minister Nitish Kumar and now by Ram Swaroop Prasad of the Janata Dal (United) has relatively poor record––only 75.24 per cent could be spent.

Ranjita Ranjan––LJP’s Saharsa MP and wife of Pappu Yadav of RJD––could spent only 54.56 per cent of the fund. But her recently convicted husband spent more than her even though he has been in jail for the last seven years. He had spent 76.11 per cent. But Rajesh Manjhi (now suspended) of the same party from Gaya had spent only 63.88 while Uday Singh, the BJP’s MP from Purnea 69.93. He is a close relative of senior bureaucrat and deputy chairman of the State Planning Board, N K Singh. Another jailed RJD strongman, Mohammad Shahabuddin, had also spent 91.47 per cent.

According to reports the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) consultancy services will evaluate the works being undertaken through the MPLAD scheme. Each MP has the choice to suggest areas from his/her constituency for development works to the tune of Rs 2 crores annually. It needs to be recalled that the NABARD had already evaluated 30 constituencies, which include Patna and Nalanda of Bihar.

The above figures reveal that in Bihar most of the current political stalwarts––barring Sharad Yadav––have shown promptness in spending their fund. Lalu Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan and Raghuvansh Prasad Singh had spent 91.85, 92 and 93.50 per cent respectively.

What sounds surprising is that the Union minister Miera Kumar, representing Congress from Sasaram has spent only 61.96, while his partyman Nikhil Kumar from Aurangabad (Bihar) just 68.57 per cent. However, RJD’s Vijay Krishna has also spent only 69.59 per cent. The irony is that these MPs have relatively clean image so is that of Jabir Husain and new comer, Ali Anwar (both Rajya Sabha). Yet all of them spent much less than the jailed ones.

Thus on an average the Lok Sabha MPs from Bihar has spent 84.65 per cent while the Rajya Sabha MP 80.58 per cent.

Incidentally some of the former Rajya Sabha MPs from Bihar had spent even cent per cent and more. For example, Faguni Ram of the CPI had spent 103.67 while Vijay Singh Yadav of the RJD 103.32 per cent during their tenure as MP. Gaya Singh of the CPI (103.14 per cent) , Anil Sinha of the RJD 101.60 per cent also spent more. Ranjan Yadav, than the President of the RJD had during his tenure spent 101.78 per cent.

In contrast the apparently development-minded Inder Kumar Gujral––though he went on to become the Prime Minister––could spent only 45.30 per cent from his fund while three-time chief minister Jagannath Mishra mere 36.31 per cent.

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