The Congress harboured a selfdestructive belief that toeing Lalu's line was the best way to keep the "communal forces" away from power. Lalu's influence over the Congress was so strong that it agreed to contest only four out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in the 2004 parliamentary elections.

During his visit, Rahul, told the state Congressmen that alliance with Lalu was a mistake.

This was something that many Congresssmen had tried telling the party high command over the years but to no avail.

Ironically, the Congress realisation came not because of any self-introspection but due to an overconfident Lalu's refusal to leave even four seats for the Congress during the Lok Sabha polls last year.

Lalu's "great betrayal", however, turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Congress in Bihar. It suddenly felt that it

had to stand on its feet without Lalu's crutches. It performed disastrously in the Lok Sabha polls but its decision to go it alone gave the partymen the much- needed boost.

The Congress' remarkable turnaround in Uttar Pradesh in the last general elections under Rahul's leadership also made it realise that similar results, if not better, could be possible in Bihar. IT WAS under a well thought-out strategy that Rahul launched his 'mission Bihar' this month. By focussing on youths, Rahul drove home the point that the youngsters were the pivot of his plan to make a dent into electoral fort held by regional satraps in Bihar.

Rahul's visit was an unqualified success in the sense that he was not only able to draw the youths but

also forced his opponents to sit up and take notice. His political opponents who earlier refused to acknowledge the presence of Congress in the state had now started firing salvos at the party.

Rahul is scheduled to undertake many tours to Bihar ahead of the assembly elections due later this year. But he has a tough task ahead of him. The state Congress has its share of problems ranging from crisis of local leadership to the lack of unity within the party.