Two senior members set quit Nitish party

Majority of JD-U leaders look headed for Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal


By LATA RANI Correspondent


Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is finding it extremely difficult to keep his party flock together ahead of next year’s general elections. A fortnight after Kumar’s Janata Dal-United (JD-U) suspended two Lok Sabha members for six years for singing paeans to the imprisoned Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and indulging in “anti-party activities”, two more senior JD-U lawmakers look set to quit the party soon.


While parliamentarian Mangani Lal Mandal who represents Jhanjharpur in Lok Sabha has made it clear he would not be contesting the next elections on JD-U ticket anymore, Bihar revenue minister Ramai Ram is not satisfied with his current position and is said to be reactivating his old contacts in the RJD to contest the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat which is currently represented by party parliamentarian Ramsundar Das.


“There is no question of contesting the next election on JD-U ticket as the chief minister is a vindictive and autocratic person,” Mandal told the media today adding Kumar would find himself alone after the next parliamentary elections. Mandal who met the RJD chief in the Jharkhand jail looks headed for the RJD as he heaps praises on Prasad.


“Lalu Prasadji enjoys huge support base in his homeland and his popularity is not going to get waned even after his jailing while Nitish Kumar has only state power, and no public support,” said Mandal, exuding confidence that the RJD chief would get justice from the higher courts. “He (Lalu Prasad) is in the jail right now while there are others named in the fodder scam who are moving scot free,” he rued.


JD-U is also left in a trouble at the way the Ramai Ram has publicly staked his claim for the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat while there is no vacancy for this seat right now. “I will be contesting the next Lok Sabha election from Hajipur and win with a huge margin,” Ram who is a cabinet minister in the Nitish Kumar government told the media yesterday (Thursday).


Observers say by staking his claim for the Hajipur seat, Ram is searching for options in the RJD. Prior to joining the JD-U, Ram was in the RJD.


Last fortnight, the JD-U leadership had suspended Purnamsi Ram and Jai Narayan Nishad who represents Gopalganj and Muzaffarpur in Lok Sabha respectively for singing paens to the RJD chief and indulging in anti-party activities.


Most of the JD-U leaders are the product of the RJD and many have emotional bonds with the party which provided them the platform and also groomed as a leader. All these leaders now hold “soft corner” for the RJD chief Prasad who has been awarded five year jail in the fodder scam.


Media reports said all these leaders now look headed for the RJD after Rabri Devi, wife of Prasad and former chief minister, made an impassioned appeal to all old party leaders to come back and join the RJD so as to strengthen the “secular forces”. At a recent meeting held at her residence, the party leaders had authorised Rabri Devi to run the party until Prasad returns from the jail.