No plans to hold joint rally with Rahul: Lalu

Patna: Putting to rest all speculation over his party’s joint campaign with Congress top leaders, RJD president Lalu Prasad today said he would not address the rallies of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in Bihar.

Rahul is due to hold an election rally in Aurangabad on 1 April and Sonia Gandhi in Sasaram on 3 April.

“There is no programme to hold a joint rally with Rahul Gandhi. We did not make any programme for a joint campaign,” Prasad said, talking to reporters at party headquarters here.

Asked if he would share the dais with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the RJD chief said there was no such plan either as leaders of both the parties were campaigning on their own. “All of us are going solo in the election campaign.

Soniaji will come and address her rally. I will be addressing my rally somewhere else,” Prasad said.

The RJD chief dodged a question whether he was invited by the Congress. “Why are you asking questions that are confusing? Do you intend to sow doubts in the minds of the people,” Prasad retorted before leaving in a huff.

Sources in the Congress have recently pointed out that Rahul had been opposed to a poll alliance with the RJD due to Prasad’s tainted image.

Rahul has been averse to being seen campaigning with Prasad as the CBI court at Ranchi has held him guilty in one of the fodder scam cases and awarded him a jail term of five years in October, 2013. He is currently out on bail.

Meanwhile, former Bihar chief minister Satish Prasad Singh joined RJD in Prasad’s presence.

He had ruled the state from 28 January to 1 February, 1968. Singh had quit BJP on March 28 to protest against inadequate number of tickets given to the Kushwaha caste.

Courtesy: PTI