Lalu convenes all party legislators' meeting
Abhay Kumar, DH News Service, PATNA, Jul 10 2017, 2:20 IST
Lalu Prasad Yadav. PTI file photo
RJD president Lalu Prasad has convened a meeting of all party legislators here on Monday.
The meeting, which will be chaired by the RJD chief, is likely to discuss the emerging political situation, particularly the growing demand by the BJP to sack Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav from the Nitish Cabinet, in the wake of a series of raids by law enforcing agencies.
The meeting assumes significance as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned to the state capital on Sunday from Rajgir, where he was supposedly “recuperating” for the past three days.
Nitish, however, maintained a studied silence and avoided any interaction with the media following the CBI raids at Lalu’s house and the lodging of an FIR against Tejashwi.
The BJP, which held an urgent meeting of its legislators and MPs from Bihar, demanded that Nitish, who has shown zero tolerance towards corruption, ask Tejashwi to quit.
“We have demanded that the RJD MLAs raise this issue in their Monday meeting and urge Lalu to appoint senior leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui, currently the finance minister in the state, as the deputy chief minister in Tejashwi’s place,” senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi told DH.
The RJD, however, rejected this demand. “The entire RJD is standing by Lalu Prasad like a rock. Those who are demanding Tejashwi’s resignation should first seek the resignation of Union Minister Uma Bharti, who has been chargesheeted in a criminal conspiracy case,” said Bihar RJD president Ram Chandra Purvey.
No to switch sons’ posts
Sources, however, said that in the case of Tejashwi’s imminent arrest, the party would like Lalu to replace him with his elder son Tej Pratap (incumbent health minister) as the deputy chief minister.
“The RJD legislature party meeting has been convened on Monday to take stock of the fresh political situation and chalk out strategies on how to counter the BJP propaganda to defame Lalu and his
family,” clarified party spokesperson and legislator Shakti Yadav.
Meanwhile, Nitish, who, as JD(U) national president, has convened the state party executive meet here on Tuesday, will not hold his weekly Lok Samvad programme on Monday, as he said to be “unwell”.
The meeting, which will be chaired by the RJD chief, is likely to discuss the emerging political situation, particularly the growing demand by the BJP to sack Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav from the Nitish Cabinet, in the wake of a series of raids by law enforcing agencies.
The meeting assumes significance as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returned to the state capital on Sunday from Rajgir, where he was supposedly “recuperating” for the past three days.
Nitish, however, maintained a studied silence and avoided any interaction with the media following the CBI raids at Lalu’s house and the lodging of an FIR against Tejashwi.
The BJP, which held an urgent meeting of its legislators and MPs from Bihar, demanded that Nitish, who has shown zero tolerance towards corruption, ask Tejashwi to quit.
“We have demanded that the RJD MLAs raise this issue in their Monday meeting and urge Lalu to appoint senior leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui, currently the finance minister in the state, as the deputy chief minister in Tejashwi’s place,” senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi told DH.
The RJD, however, rejected this demand. “The entire RJD is standing by Lalu Prasad like a rock. Those who are demanding Tejashwi’s resignation should first seek the resignation of Union Minister Uma Bharti, who has been chargesheeted in a criminal conspiracy case,” said Bihar RJD president Ram Chandra Purvey.
No to switch sons’ posts
Sources, however, said that in the case of Tejashwi’s imminent arrest, the party would like Lalu to replace him with his elder son Tej Pratap (incumbent health minister) as the deputy chief minister.
“The RJD legislature party meeting has been convened on Monday to take stock of the fresh political situation and chalk out strategies on how to counter the BJP propaganda to defame Lalu and his
family,” clarified party spokesperson and legislator Shakti Yadav.
Meanwhile, Nitish, who, as JD(U) national president, has convened the state party executive meet here on Tuesday, will not hold his weekly Lok Samvad programme on Monday, as he said to be “unwell”.
