By Dev Raj
Patna: Anointed for the 13th consecutive term as Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) national president on Saturday, Lalu Prasad asked party workers and leaders to strengthen the organisation and stay united. He also asked them to lend full support to his younger son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav in the endeavour to form government in the state.
“I thank all of you for believing in me. I will never let you and the party down. I am not worried about my health and take updates from Tejashwi every night. The elections are approaching and you all are busy with the work of the party. We all need to stay united,” Lalu said while addressing the RJD foundation day celebrations-cum-open convention in the state capital.
“Tejashwi is tirelessly working day and night, visiting everywhere and uniting people. He is doing good work. Elections are approaching. We must lend him full responsibility and strength," Lalu added.
The RJD national president was recently unanimously re-elected for the position in organisational elections. He has been holding the post for the past 28 years.
The party was established on July 5, 1997, after Lalu split the then Janata Dal in a bid to make his wife Rabri Devi the Chief Minister in the face of his impending arrest by the CBI in the Rs 1,000 crore fodder scam.
Speaking further at the open convention at which top leaders of the party, including state unit presidents from all over the country were present, the RJD chief asked leaders and workers to “go door-to-door and tell the people all the things that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was doing against them.”
Lalu, 78, asserted that a survey was being conducted across Bihar to find out “the most suitable candidates in the Assembly elections. We will choose them from among you.”
The RJD chief also took the opportunity to acknowledge the role of his wife Rabri Devi, who was present on the occasion, in taking care of him, his family, and the party.
“I thank Rabri Devi for taking care of me, my family and the party. She constantly looks after the party while taking care of her health,” he added.
Tejaswhi was also present at the open convention and asked the party leaders to work in the field instead of doing the rounds of the residences and offices of other senior leaders of the RJD to seek tickets for the Assembly polls.
“Only those in the RJD, who work among the public, will get election tickets. Just being a party official is no guarantee for a poll ticket. Only those who fight for the people will be given tickets. We have to bring a revolution this time instead of just a regime change,” Tejashwi added.
The younger son of Lalu, who also happens to be the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, asserted that the state has seen enough of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from 2005 to 2025.
“He (Nitish) should see his age and resign to take some rest. Even BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has pointed out that Nitish would be the Chief Minister only till the elections,” Tejashwi said. He also expressed concerns about the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
Rabri also addressed the convention and asked why so much migration of people was happening from the state and no IT firms were established here, with poverty, inflation and unemployment at their extreme.
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