Lalu146;s chintan baithak to plan election strategy

Beginning Saturday, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav8217;s Rashtriya Janata Dal 8212; a crucial UPA ally 8212; will hold a two-day chintan baithak of senior leaders at Kaimur in Bihar.

Beginning Saturday, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav8217;s Rashtriya Janata Dal 8212; a crucial UPA ally 8212; will hold a two-day chintan baithak of senior leaders at Kaimur in Bihar. Preparations for the next general elections, where the party stands on a weak wicket against the ruling NDA in Bihar, will top the agenda during the meeting.

In the backdrop of rising political clout of Nitish Kumar8217;s JDU, the party leaders will deliberate upon Lalu8217;s idea of forming a grand pre-poll alliance comprising not only the UPA allies 8212; Ram Vilas Paswan8217;s LJP and Sharad Pawar8217;s NCP 8212; but also Left-parties to counter the JDU-led NDA alliance in Bihar.

The deliberation is likely to become a crucial input for the party leadership to identify constituencies for seat adjustment. While Lalu wants to get Paswan into his alliance, Paswan has publicly announced that he would rather go alone for the fear of difficulties involved in sharing seats with Lalu. The meeting, thus, will offer an opportunity to get feedback from party workers regarding seat adjustments.

All party MPs, former MPs, MLAs, former MLAs, former RJD ministers, district party presidents, state-level heads have been invited for deliberations to prepare RJD8217;s strategy for the next general elections. There will be discussions on changing social equations after BSP8217;s entry in the state as well as Nitish8217;s political move towards creating and consolidating most backward class out of backward classes.

The meet will consider the issue of redrawn constituencies, arising out of the delimitation process. The redrawing of constituencies has not only changed the social composition of several constituencies but also reserved the constituencies of some prominent RJD leaders like Sadhu Yadav. RJD president Lalu Prasad, vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and the leader of opposition in the state Assembly Rabri Devi will address the meeting.