RJD chief Lalu Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti today made it clear that she will contest from Patliputra and hit back at party leader Ramkripal Yadav for dubbing her efforts to reach out to him as 'nautanki'.
"Opposing a woman and calling her efforts 'nautanki' (drama) on International Women's Day today is an insult to women," an agitated Misa told reporters at the residence of her mother and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi.
"I am really upset at my sincere efforts to reach out to him being called emotional blackmail and 'nautanki'," said Misa who had reached out to 'chacha' (uncle) Yadav yesterday after he was angered by denial of a ticket to contest from the Patliputra Lok Sabha seat. "...in fact, he did a 'nautanki' by announcing his resignation at a press conference at Delhi before I could do anything after reaching Patna this morning."
Moreover, Yadav, the Secretary General of RJD and also its Parliamentary board member who still has two years to go in the Rajya Sabha, did not stake claim to the Patliputra seat in front of Lalu Prasad, she said.
Misa evaded a direct reply when reporters asked whether action would be taken against Yadav for going against the party decision.
"I am not the party president. It is for him to decide over this or talk about this," Misa, the eldest of the nine children of Prasad, said. Misa, who had yesterday offered to withdraw her candidature in favour of Yadav, said now she was firm on the decision of the party and would contest from Patliputra.
She, however, said she would continue to respect the RJD leader as her 'uncle'.
Rejecting Yadav's contention that workers were unhappy, Misa, who hold an MBBS degree, said workers belonged to the party and not an individual.
She said that RJD Parliamentary Board at its meeting here, which was also attended by Yadav, had authorised Lalu Prasad for candidate selection.
On his allegation of dynastic politics in RJD, she denied it, saying, "My father is not able to contest from the seat due to a conspiracy. What's wrong if he wants his daughter to contest from there."
Prasad is debarred from contesting elections after his conviction in the fodder scam.
RJD MLA Bhai Birendra alleged that Yadav had gained in comparison to genuine workers by trying to misguide the party chief. Another party MLA Ramanand Yadav alleged that Yadav had never cared for grassroot workers. Misa said, "Personal relations never end while political ones may change. He (Yadav) is my uncle. Family has its own place while party has its own place in my life."
Asked what she would do after becoming a parliamentarian, she said, "I will try to bring all parties together on the issue of women's reservation bill and ensure that it is passed to give 33 per cent reservation to women in state legislature and Parliament."