Lalu set to return to Patna after almost 4 years, may campaign for bypolls

Since his incarceration on December 23, 2017, Prasad has been away from Patna for over three-and-a-half years and briefly visited Patna for five days on parole in May 2018 to attend his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav’s wedding on May 12

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav is all set to come to Patna on Sunday after almost six months of recuperating from his illness in New Delhi following release from jail on bail post-conviction in fodder scam-related cases in April this year.

Former Chief Minister of Bihar and RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav along with his wife and RJD leader Rabri Devi (R) during Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) silver jubilee foundation day on July 5 through video conferencing. (HT Photo)

Since his incarceration on December 23, 2017, Prasad has been away from Patna for over three-and-a-half years and briefly visited Patna for five days on parole in May 2018 to attend his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav’s wedding on May 12.

After his release from jail while undergoing treatment at AIIMS, New Delhi on April 30, Prasad had been staying put and recuperating from various illnesses at his eldest daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti’s residence in New Delhi.

“I, along with my mother and former chief minister Rabri Devi, will be accompanying my father back to Patna on Sunday. We are planning to take the afternoon flight tomorrow,” Misa Bharti told HT on phone from New Delhi.

She said the doctors attending to the 74-year former railway minister would examine him in the evening again. Several tests related to Lalu’s health condition were conducted on Friday, she said.

The RJD chief has been ailing from kidney, heart and other ailments for the last many years and his condition had deteriorated during his incarceration since December 2017 post-conviction in fodder scam cases. In total, Prasad has been convicted in four fodder scam cases and got released on bail after completion of formalities on April 30 while undergoing treatment at AIIMS, New Delhi.

Earlier, the RJD chief stayed in Rajendra Medical College hospital, Ranchi for medical treatment during his incarceration period of over three years before he was shifted to AIIMS, New Delhi in January this year.

While Prasad, during his incarceration, executed a slow transition of power in the party to his younger son and heir apparent Tejashwi Prasad Yadav by projecting him as the chief ministerial face in the 2020 assembly polls, the RJD chief continues to call the shots in the party as national president and is facing the challenge of containing growing rivalry between elder son Tej Pratap and Tejashwi.

Tej Pratap, of late, has caused much embarrassment to the party by his outburst against senior leaders including state president Jagdanand Singh and had even alleged that his father was being kept ‘hostage’ in New Delhi by a handful of people in the party who were dreaming of becoming the next party national president, which was seen as an attack on younger sibling Tejashwi and his loyalists.

However, the ailing RJD chief has tried to dispel such notions and held several meetings in the last few weeks to address party workers from New Delhi virtually and also said to have cautioned Tej Pratap to refrain from making controversial statements.

“I will be with you all soon in Patna and tour every district in the state in the coming days. Doctors have asked me to take little water and there are certain restrictions,” the RJD chief said, adding that he was much better in health than previously.

However, last week, there were indications that the plans of Prasad to return to Patna had been stalled as Rabri Devi had told media that the RJD chief would not be coming to the state capital soon on health grounds.

Admittedly, Prasad’s arrival in Patna is likely to give a morale boost up to the party workers who are expected to give a rousing welcome at Patna airport tomorrow. “We are excited about Lalu’s return. Given the Covid situation, there will be a small gathering at Patna airport to welcome him. His return is a big morale boost up for workers,” said Chittaranjan Gaggan, party’s state spokesperson.

A new room equipped with all medical facilities has been constructed at the main quarters of the sprawling 10 Circular Road bungalow where Prasad along with his family has been staying since 2006 after RJD lost power in the state. The bungalow is allotted in name of Rabri Devi incapacity of the leader of the opposition in the state legislative council.

People familiar with the matter said there is a possibility that Prasad along with his family might celebrate Chhath in Patna this time after a long gap as wife Rabri Devi has not been celebrating the festival for the last few years.

Incidentally, the RJD chief’s return to Patna has raised hopes among the party that the party’s campaign for the by-polls being steered by younger son and leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav would get more momentum and could help in influencing the voters’ mood. The RJD is putting all strength to win the two seats where the contest is multi-cornered with ruling JD(U) and Congress fielding their candidates.

People cited above also said there is still no conformity as to whether the RJD chief would be visiting the two constituencies next week by helicopter but a plan could be drawn up depending on Prasad’s health. “We are not sure whether the RJD chief would visit the two constituencies. Everything will depend on his health once he returns to Patna,” said Bhola Yadav, a senior party leader and former MLA.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP and JD(U) have downplayed Prasad’s expected return to Patna stating that it would not make much impact to help the RJD in getting any advantage in the by-polls. Chief minister Nitish Kumar, while talking to reporters at a public event in Patna on Saturday, did not comment on the RJD chief’s expected return to Patna and also asserted he had no interest in the ongoing hostility between RJD and Congress in the grand alliance. “I have no interest in it,” he said.

The BJP’s state spokesperson Prem Ranjan Patel said that Prasad’s return may be an occasion of jubilation for the RJD and its workers but would not give an advantage to the opposition party in the by-polls for two seats. “RJD workers and leaders may be excited about Lalu’s return to Patna but it will have no impact on the by-polls. People of Bihar have lost faith in the RJD chief and they have not forgotten the old days of RJD rule,” said Patel.