Imprisoned Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad was re-elected party president unopposed on Tuesday for the 11th consecutive term. The formal announcement will be made on December 10. Convicted in several fodder scam cases, Mr. Prasad is now serving his sentence in a Ranchi jail but undergoing treatment in a government hospital in the city.
At the time of submission of his duly signed nomination papers at the RJD party office in Patna, his sons Tej Pratap and Tejashwi Yadav, and senior party leaders like Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, former State party president Ram Chandra Purve, Bhola Singh and Kanti Singh were present. Since no other nomination papers were filed, Mr. Prasad was elected unopposed. He founded the party in July 1997 after breaking away from the Janata Dal.
“We all believe in Lalu Prasad ji and will contest the 2020 Assembly election under his leadership,” said Mr. Tejashwi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.
Mr. Prasad has been in custody for the past two years. His family members and others are allowed to meet him only on Saturdays.
Earlier, speculation was rife that Mr. Tejashwi or his mother, Rabri Devi, could be elected party president. Sources told The Hindu that in view of the Assembly election next year, Mr. Prasad agreed to be re-elected to ward off any family dispute.
Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi tweeted: “It’s unfortunate that a person who cannot contest the poll for even a mukhia’s (village head) post is being elected as president of a party for 11th time…RJD should elect him party president for lifetime instead of creating this drama of holding poll for the post again and again.”
