<p>Patna: RJD president Lalu Prasad on Thursday made a fervent appeal to party colleagues to work towards ensuring that his son Tejashwi Yadav becomes the chief minister after the upcoming Bihar assembly polls.</p>.<p>Prasad was addressing the party's state council, which was marked by a formal announcement of Mangani Lal Mandal being unanimously elected as the RJD's Bihar unit chief.</p>.<p>"You must work towards ensuring that Nitish Kumar and RSS are driven out in the elections. Tejashwi Yadav should become the chief minister," said the RJD supremo, flanked on either side by the young leader and wife Rabri Devi, a former chief minister herself.</p>.<p>Prasad, who now rarely attends public functions because of medical reasons, spoke in a weak voice, seated in his chair.</p>.PM Modi to visit Bihar, Odisha, Andhra during 2-day tour.<p>Although his brief speech was sans his trademark wisecracks, he made it a point to allege that "RSS people had abused Karpoori Thakur and brought his government down".</p>.<p>Thakur, a former chief minister and OBC icon whom both Prasad and Nitish Kumar consider their mentor, was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna last year by the Narendra Modi government.</p>.<p>Prasad was alluding to the fall of the Janata Party government, headed by Thakur, in 1979, after all ministers owing allegiance to the Jana Sangh, the BJP's predecessor, had pulled out.</p>.<p>Prasad's concluding address to the state council was preceded by a spirited speech from Yadav, who coined a catchy slogan, "do hazaar pachis se tees, bahut hua Nitish (from 2005 to 2025, we have had enough of Nitish)".</p>.<p>Yadav urged the party workers to devote themselves to ensure "the Mahagathbandhan forms the next government".</p>.<p>"Tell the people about the employment generation that took place during the 17 months we were in power," said Yadav, who was the Deputy CM during the period when Kumar, the JD(U) president, had a short-lived alliance with the RJD.</p>.<p>"Inform the people about the schemes we intend to launch for women, our promise of a 100 per cent domicile policy and relief for toddy tappers who have been hit hard by the prohibition law. Make efforts on the ground without worrying about tickets and do not indulge in 'ganesh parikrama' (apple polishing)," said Yadav, who is now the leader of the opposition.</p>.<p>Referring to the proposed tour of PM Modi, the RJD leader said, "Tomorrow, when he is in Siwan, he should think again before launching into his favourite themes of lawlessness and nepotism.</p>.<p>"The firing incident outside my house, in a VVIP locality, earlier this morning has proved that the state is now experiencing a 'maha jungle' raj. And so many close relatives of top leaders have been appointed to various commissions, boards and other state bodies that the NDA now deserves to be called national 'damaad aayog'." Voicing anguish over the statement of senior minister Ashok Choudhary that his son-in-law Sayan Kunal had been made member of an influential body "from the RSS quota", Yadav said "it is now beyond doubt that the party, which was formed by our late associate Sharad Yadav, has now been hijacked by the BJP".</p>
<p>Patna: RJD president Lalu Prasad on Thursday made a fervent appeal to party colleagues to work towards ensuring that his son Tejashwi Yadav becomes the chief minister after the upcoming Bihar assembly polls.</p>.<p>Prasad was addressing the party's state council, which was marked by a formal announcement of Mangani Lal Mandal being unanimously elected as the RJD's Bihar unit chief.</p>.<p>"You must work towards ensuring that Nitish Kumar and RSS are driven out in the elections. Tejashwi Yadav should become the chief minister," said the RJD supremo, flanked on either side by the young leader and wife Rabri Devi, a former chief minister herself.</p>.<p>Prasad, who now rarely attends public functions because of medical reasons, spoke in a weak voice, seated in his chair.</p>.PM Modi to visit Bihar, Odisha, Andhra during 2-day tour.<p>Although his brief speech was sans his trademark wisecracks, he made it a point to allege that "RSS people had abused Karpoori Thakur and brought his government down".</p>.<p>Thakur, a former chief minister and OBC icon whom both Prasad and Nitish Kumar consider their mentor, was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna last year by the Narendra Modi government.</p>.<p>Prasad was alluding to the fall of the Janata Party government, headed by Thakur, in 1979, after all ministers owing allegiance to the Jana Sangh, the BJP's predecessor, had pulled out.</p>.<p>Prasad's concluding address to the state council was preceded by a spirited speech from Yadav, who coined a catchy slogan, "do hazaar pachis se tees, bahut hua Nitish (from 2005 to 2025, we have had enough of Nitish)".</p>.<p>Yadav urged the party workers to devote themselves to ensure "the Mahagathbandhan forms the next government".</p>.<p>"Tell the people about the employment generation that took place during the 17 months we were in power," said Yadav, who was the Deputy CM during the period when Kumar, the JD(U) president, had a short-lived alliance with the RJD.</p>.<p>"Inform the people about the schemes we intend to launch for women, our promise of a 100 per cent domicile policy and relief for toddy tappers who have been hit hard by the prohibition law. Make efforts on the ground without worrying about tickets and do not indulge in 'ganesh parikrama' (apple polishing)," said Yadav, who is now the leader of the opposition.</p>.<p>Referring to the proposed tour of PM Modi, the RJD leader said, "Tomorrow, when he is in Siwan, he should think again before launching into his favourite themes of lawlessness and nepotism.</p>.<p>"The firing incident outside my house, in a VVIP locality, earlier this morning has proved that the state is now experiencing a 'maha jungle' raj. And so many close relatives of top leaders have been appointed to various commissions, boards and other state bodies that the NDA now deserves to be called national 'damaad aayog'." Voicing anguish over the statement of senior minister Ashok Choudhary that his son-in-law Sayan Kunal had been made member of an influential body "from the RSS quota", Yadav said "it is now beyond doubt that the party, which was formed by our late associate Sharad Yadav, has now been hijacked by the BJP".</p>