Campaign not new, says RJD leader

By K. Balchand

PATNA, MARCH 9. The political scene in the capital seems to be hotting up with the arrival here today of the Working President of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Dr. Ranjan Prasad Yadav, whom the dissidents have projected as their leader.

Dr. Yadav refused to be drawn into the controversy regretting that he was being dubbed a dissident merely because he happened to be pursuing the issue of development of Bihar.

He denied knowledge of the party president, Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav's proposal for an open discussion on matters exercising a section of the legislators.

Dr. Yadav, however, seemed intent on holding parleys with his supporters to highlight the issue. If his motive is to gauge the mood of party legislators, then Dr. Yadav may well be playing his cards close to his chest.

He sought to clarify that his campaign was an old one and it was not an attack against his party supremo.

He justified his actions on grounds of his right to speak his mind in a democratic set up, but his main grudge against the party president appeared to be the kind of advisors who surround him.

He also objected to being referred to as ``Brutus'' by his ``friend''. Dr. Yadav suggested that the former Chief Minister would do better to read `Julius Caeser' before resorting to similies.

On the reported statement of the dissident MP, Mr. Nagmani, of approaching the NDA for support to prop up an alternative government, Dr. Yadav denied that he had held any talks with the Opposition camp but underscored the inevitability of the Opposition parties like the BJP and other NDA allies playing a role in such a situation.

He ignored the overtures of the local Congress leaders to help form an alternative ``secular'' government.

He maintained that he would first hold talks with his party members and stressed that his crusade, borne out by his contributions to the State capital, was a continuing process and not politically motivated.

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Section  : Other States
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