50% RJD tickets to youth not in Lok Sabha polls: Tejaswi

Patna: RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s son and Yuva RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav on Saturday said his party’s announcement to give 50% tickets to youth leaders would be implemented from the next assembly election in Bihar.

Responding to a query at a press conference here, Tejaswi said he never announced that 50% of the party tickets would be allocated to the youth during the Lok Sabha election. “I have been demanding 50% tickets to the youth in the next state assembly polls. Our national president Lalu Prasad has also announced the same,” he said.

Tejaswi said the party tickets for the Lok Sabha polls would be decided by the party’s national leaders and he would have no say in it. “However, wherever the party will find an eligible young candidate for the LS polls, he or she will be given ticket,” he said.

Tejaswi, accompanied by Yuva RJD national president and former MP Alok Mehta, further said the Yuva RJD was making efforts to educate the first-time electors about the principles and policies of RJD and its guiding personalities like Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayaprakash Narayan. Claiming Bihar has over 50 lakh youth who would vote for the first time in the coming LS polls, Tejaswi said the Yuva RJD organised a two-day training camp at Rajgir on January 29 and 30 to attract such electors. Over 300 select youth leaders from all districts attended the training camp addressed by senior party leaders, including Raghubansh Prasad Singh and Ram Kripal Yadav.

Replying to a query on fodder scam, Tejaswi said RJD president Lalu Prasad did not face the charge of either receiving or giving money to anyone. “He (Prasad) has been charge-sheeted under Section 120 (B) of IPC that is related to criminal conspiracy. He has been made a victim of political conspiracy,” he said adding since the matter was before courts, he would not like to speak on the case in details. “Let us wait till the orders from high court and the Supreme Court come,” he said.

Courtesy: TNN