Rabri will continue as Bihar CM, says Laloo

PATNA, MARCH 7: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Laloo Prasad Yadav on Sunday ruled out any change in leadership in the event of revo...

PATNA, MARCH 7: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Laloo Prasad Yadav on Sunday ruled out any change in leadership in the event of revocation of presidential proclamation dismissing the Rabri Devi government and said there was no pressure from the Congress to replace her as the Chief Minister."There is no pressure on us from Congress… The party’s stand is crystal clear and it will vote against the statutory resolution seeking Rajya Sabha’s approval to the proclamation," Yadav told reporters after a meeting with RJD leaders and legislators here.

Reiterating that Rabri Devi would head the RJD ministry in the State in the event of its restoration, Yadav said "it is well settled in the S R Bommai case that the status quo ante comes if both or either House votes against the resolution".

He thanked the Congress, Tamil Manila Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party and others for opposing Central rule in Bihar and said that the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM) MPs would continue to disrupt the proceedings ofParliament till the Centre makes its stand clear on bringing the resolution on Bihar in Rajya Sabha.

Referring to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s statement on Vananchal during his visit to Ranchi, Yadav said his party would "oppose tooth and nail such a sinister design to divide Bihar".

Yadav appealed to the Congress not to support the "discriminatory and unconstitutional" legislation for bifurcation of Bihar.

Yadav announced that the RJD would hold a massive rally here on May 2 "to uproot the communal and feudal forces".

RJD activists would stage dharnas and hold demonstrations before district headquarters across the State on March 10 and 11 to protest against imposition of President’s rule, he said.

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Janjagaran and padyatra would also be undertaken by his party supporters in Bihar between March 12 and 16, he said adding that the RJD activists would fast for a day at all panchayats on March 18.