PATNA: The RJD national council, which on Tuesday ratified the election of Lalu Prasad as the party president for the tenth consecutive term, also adopted a resolution, declaring that Lalu's son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav would be the party's CM candidate in the assembly election in Bihar in 2020.
While Tejashwi would lead the RJD in the state polls, Lalu was authorised by the party to unite the opposition parties to take on the Narendra Modi-led NDA in the Lok Sabha election in 2019.
Known for his hold on the M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) vote bank, Lalu in his address to the party functionaries tried to woo upper caste voters, saying progressive people from the upper castes should help the RJD oust the Modi government. He also denied having ever said "bhura baal saaf karo". The one-liner, attributed to Lalu since 1990s, was interpreted as his call to trounce Bhumihar, Rajputs, Brahmans and Kayasthas. It is believed to have had driven a large section of the upper caste voters against the RJD.
Lalu's re-election for another three-year term (2017-20) had become imminent when no one else filed nomination to contest the election against him till November 12, the last date of filing nominations.
Addressing the national council meet, Tejashwi said people were looking up to Lalu with hope as the country was reeling under the dictatorship of Modi. He called Bihar CM Nitish Kumar a "cheat minister", saying a number of scams surfaced with him at the helm in the state.
Lalu' wife and former CM Rabri Devi also made a vociferous attack on the central and state governments. "They (Modi and Nitish) talk about nepotism in politics because they do not have a family worth the name," she said.
Around 650 delegates from 24 states attended the national council meet at which RJD's national election officer Jagadanand gave the certificate of election to Lalu.
While Tejashwi would lead the RJD in the state polls, Lalu was authorised by the party to unite the opposition parties to take on the Narendra Modi-led NDA in the Lok Sabha election in 2019.
Known for his hold on the M-Y (Muslim-Yadav) vote bank, Lalu in his address to the party functionaries tried to woo upper caste voters, saying progressive people from the upper castes should help the RJD oust the Modi government. He also denied having ever said "bhura baal saaf karo". The one-liner, attributed to Lalu since 1990s, was interpreted as his call to trounce Bhumihar, Rajputs, Brahmans and Kayasthas. It is believed to have had driven a large section of the upper caste voters against the RJD.
Lalu's re-election for another three-year term (2017-20) had become imminent when no one else filed nomination to contest the election against him till November 12, the last date of filing nominations.
Addressing the national council meet, Tejashwi said people were looking up to Lalu with hope as the country was reeling under the dictatorship of Modi. He called Bihar CM Nitish Kumar a "cheat minister", saying a number of scams surfaced with him at the helm in the state.
Lalu' wife and former CM Rabri Devi also made a vociferous attack on the central and state governments. "They (Modi and Nitish) talk about nepotism in politics because they do not have a family worth the name," she said.
Around 650 delegates from 24 states attended the national council meet at which RJD's national election officer Jagadanand gave the certificate of election to Lalu.
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