NEW DELHI/PATNA, Mar 8:
In a jolt to RJD, senior party leader Ram Kripal Yadav today quit from all party posts over denial of ticket from Patliputra Lok Sabha seat and said he was keeping all his options open.
Yadav, a close aide of RJD chief Lalu Prasad whose daughter Misa Bharti has been given Patliputra seat, accused the party of being more interested in serving “family justice” than social justice for which it was formed.
Yadav, currently a Rajya Sabha member and a three-time Lok Sabha MP from Patna, said he has decided to quit party posts with a “heavy heart” and his written resignation will follow. He, however said he was still in the party as of now and has not quit from Rajya Sabha.
Yadav is secretary-general of RJD and a member of the party’s parliamentary board. There is speculation that he may join BJP to contest from the seat.
“I am very attached to the party and its workers. I think, the way Misa came to me yesterday, it was an ’emotional atyachar’ or a ‘political stunt’ which was used against a simple person like me,” Yadav told reporters in Delhi referring to Bharti’s visit to his home here and staying put for five hours in a bid to persuade him.
Bharti, who returned to Patna, today hit back at Yadav saying it was he who was indulging in “emotional blackmail” and “nautanki” (drama) and that she was firm on contesting the seat.
Yadav refrained from commenting on the possibility of joining another party or contesting Lok Sabha elections. “All options are open. I am mulling these issues. Other decisions will be taken later,” Yadav said
He said that despite conveying his willingness to fight the Lok Sabha elections a long time back to his party national president, such a decision was taken.
“I wanted to fight Lok Sabha elections. This was the demand of the workers as well as that of the people. One year back, I had conveyed my feelings to the party national president. I had said even if ‘Madam’ becomes candidate, it will be ok with me. But the decision was taken. Despite that I did not utter a single word against the party,” Yadav said.
Lalu Prasad has been grappling with dissent in the party ahead of Lok Sabha election. 13 RJD MLAs had resigned from the party last month but later nine had attended the legislature party meeting. (PTI)
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