PATNA: Even as he rang in his 68th birthday on Thursday, RJD chief Lalu Prasad belted out the famous bollywood number “Abhi Toh Main Jawan Hoon” (“still young”) to declare his intention to put up a tough fight in the dangal”(wrestling match) between the secular front and the BJP in the upcoming BiharAssembly elections.
The birthday festivities also provided a rare photo-op as for the first time Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joined him in cutting 68 pound birthday cake.
Not only that Lallan Singh, a senior Minister of Nitish Cabinet who was the petitioner in fodder scam that eventually resulted in Lalu’s conviction, was also there.
“The entire country is keenly watching us. And from here we will ensure “ghar wapasi” of the BJP (send it packing)” said Lalu.
Making use of the occasion to score over his political rivals, the RJD strongman said,” “I am very politely asking the BJP to declare its Chief Ministerial candidate like us ahead of the Assembly polls.” He also claimed that it was absolutely certain that Nitish would be voted back to power in the upcoming Assembly polls.
Despite undergoing a major heart surgery last year, Lalu said that he had regained his health and would leave no stone unturned to ensure the victory of the Janata alliance.
“I don’t know the exact date of my birth but though June 11 is mentioned as date of birth on my school certificate” Lalu said. His birthday celebration became a regular event since he became Chief Minister of Bihar in 1990.
Manjhi Joins NDA
After holding talks with BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi, former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Thursday announced that his Hindustani Awam Morcha would contest the upcoming Assembly elections in alliance with the saffron party in order to defeat the JD(U)-RJD alliance.
And BJP general secretary Bhupindra Yadav said the party was planning to highlight Narendra Modi Government’s social sector schemes such as Jan Dhan Yojana and Mudra Bank and hardsell the Prime Minister’s appeal in the elections.
Shah also met MoS for HRD Upendra Khushwaha, chief of the NDA ally, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), after which the latter said, “We will have to work harder now. We discussed our strategy for the Assembly elections. It was a preliminary discussion.”
And RLSP general secretary Shivraj Singh said, “Kushwahaji is a credible face. He can counter the social justice plank of the RJD and the JD(U) which the BJP cannot.”