If health permits, Lalu may take part in INDIA bloc mega rally in Ranchi: RJD leader

A senior Jharkhand RJD leader on Sunday said that the partys national president Lalu Prasad will take part in the mega rally of the opposition INDIA bloc scheduled on April 21, if his health condition permits.Prasads son and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav is also likely to attend the Ulgulan revolution Maharally to be held at Ranchis Prabhat Tara ground, RJD general secretary Kailash Yadav said here after a meeting of the anti-BJP coalition.

A senior Jharkhand RJD leader on Sunday said that the party's national president Lalu Prasad will take part in the mega rally of the opposition INDIA bloc scheduled on April 21, if his health condition permits.

Prasad's son and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav is also likely to attend the 'Ulgulan (revolution) Maharally' to be held at Ranchi's Prabhat Tara ground, RJD general secretary Kailash Yadav said here after a meeting of the anti-BJP coalition. The bloc partners – the JMM, Congress, RJD and the CPI(ML) – took part in the meeting at the residence of former chief minister Hemant Soren to discuss strategy for the rally.

"We are organising the Ulgulan Maharally to highlight the injustice meted out to Hemant Soren and for the protection of democracy," JMM general secretary Vinod Pandey said.

Soren, also the executive president of the JMM, was arrested in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31. RJD general secretary Kailash Yadav, who was present at the meeting, said, ''Tejaswi Yadav would participate in the Maharally and, if health permits, RJD chief Lalu Prasad may also take part in it." Kalpana Soren, wife of Hemant Soren, Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur, senior RJD leader and minister Satyanand Bhokta, CPI(ML) MLA Vinod Singh and JMM general secretary Vinod Pandey were present at the meeting. Mir told reporters that the constituents of the INDIA bloc discussed strategy about the Maharally at the meeting. The bloc had organised mega rallies in Mumbai and Delhi on March 17 and 31 respectively. Asked when seat-sharing among the INDIA partners for the state will be announced, he said that it would be made in a day or two. Later, speaking to PTI, he hit out at the BJP accusing it of diverting people's attention from real issues. ''In every election, the BJP wants to bring non-election issues to the centre stage. It doesn't want to discuss its performance. People of the country have understood the party and it is hard to divert their attention,'' he said.

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