Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad, who is currently in New Delhi after being granted bail in fodder scam cases in which he was convicted and incarcerated for nearly four years, will address party leaders and workers through virtual mode on July 5 to mark the party’s 25th foundation day, a senior party leader said.
This will be Prasad’s first major interaction with RJD workers in four years, which is expected to galvanise the party’s rank and file.
RJD leaders said party workers at the district, block and panchayat level have been directed to participate in the event and listen to Lalu Prasad, who had briefly interacted with party MLAs on May 9 through a video conference.
After being discharged from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi days after he was granted bail by the Jharkhand High Court on April 30, the RJD chief has been staying at the residence of his eldest daughter and MP Misa Bharti. Prasad was being treated at AIIMS for various ailments.
“This will be Lalu’s first interaction with party workers after a gap of several years. There is palpable excitement among the workers. We have sent online links to all our party units from panchayat level to the state level. Representatives from 26 states would be also attending the event. Key decisions would be taken about future programmes of the party at the event,” said Shyam Rajak, senior party leader and former minister.
Top RJD leaders are also hopeful that the party chief will be returning to Patna by mid-July.
“There are chances that the RJD chief would be returning to Patna after July 15. It will depend on his health condition. His presence will galvanise the workers,” said Rajak.
Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, the RJD chief’s younger son and leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly, had on Wednesday met his party’s office bearers and leaders and asked them to ensure that the event was widely publicised.
On its foundation day, RJD will also pay tributes to Lok Janshakti Party founder late Ram Vilas Paswan, whose birth anniversary falls on the same day.
Paswan’s son Chirag is currently locked in a bitter feud with uncle and MP Pasupati Kumar Paras to regain control over the party that was recently hit with rebellion.
Birth of the party
Lalu Prasad, then Bihar CM, announced the birth of RJD at a function in New Delhi on July 5,1997, after breaking away from the erstwhile Janata Dal following differences with Sharad Yadav over leadership issues in the backdrop of CBI filing a charge sheet against Prasad in fodder scam cases.
Among the founding members were former MPs Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Kanti Singh. Prasad was elected as its president. He later resigned as chief minister on July 25 ,1997.
