PATNA: After a gap of more than three years, the Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, who has been serving a jail term, made his partial return to politics on Sunday.
Lalu held a virtual meet with the party’s senior leaders and lawmakers. He called on the leaders to serve the people who are suffering amid a rise in Covid cases.
In March 2018, he was sentenced to 14 years in jail in connection with fodder scam. Last month, a court had granted him bail.
The RJD leader is presently staying at his elder daughter’s house in Delhi. Lalu was unwell and could not speak for long. His blood oxygen level was a bit below the normal.
He did not make any political statements, but called upon party workers and leasders to render their services to the people in these tough times.
“Lakhs of people have died due to Covid-19. There is a lot of destructions and commotion all around. At such a time, it is your duty to go to your area and serve your people,” Lalu told his party leaders.
Though, it was anticipated that he will share some political strategies to deal with the NDA regime in the state, he remained guarded.
“It shows how genuinely he is concerned with the people of party above politics,” remarked a senior RJD leader, adding that being with the people in times of crisis has always been an integral and important part of Lalu Prasad’s politics.
“Gradually, he will return to the Bihar politics in full form to take on the failed NDA regime”, said a senior leader, preferring anonymity.
In his typical tone and tenor, Lalu assured the party leaders and functionaries that he will soon be among them once he fully recovers.
Later, RJD state president Jagdanand Singh said it was not a meeting to chalk out any political strategies. Rather, it was for Lalu to meet the party leaders and funationaries after a long time.
“There is no other leader in Bihar, who understands the pain of the poor better than Lalu Prasad. He told party leaders how to help the poor amid the pandemic”.