PATNA/CHANDIGARH, Feb 28: While the Congress today, in an attempt to distance itself from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, reiterated that the Rabri Devi Government had lost the moral right to rule and asked the RJD to change its leadership, sources in Patna said that Laloo Prasad Yadav has agreed to remove his wife Rabri Devi from the leadership in an effort to win the Congress support.Senior CWC member and the party leader in charge of the state, Pranab Mukherjee said in Chandigarh today that the RJD government had lost its moral authority to continue to govern ``after a spate of killings in the state.'' When asked about the Cong decision to oppose Central rule, Mukherjee said the RJD should change its leadership.Meanwhile, high-level RJD sources in Patna said that their party chief Laloo Prasad Yadav has indicated to the Congress that his party was willing to change its leadership. Laloo Prasad Yadav, who was initially reluctant to change the leader of the RJD legislature group, has come around to the viewthat his wife Rabri Devi could be removed but he should have the right to decide on the next leader.In an all-out effort to please the Congress and win its support, Laloo also offered 40 out of the 54 Lok Sabha seats to the Congress as well as the post of deputy chief minister. The offer conveyed to the Congress leadership through former Congress president Sitaram Kesri also says that the RJD chief will not interfere in the functioning of the government at the Centre. Laloo will remain content with contesting the assembly elections and would ``not be interested in sharing power at the Centre.''Laloo's latest move has fuelled confusion in the Bihar Congress and has helped change the attitude of some of the leaders who had been hostile to him. Now the pro-Laloo faction in the Congress think that their party should ``pick up the opportunity.''Laloo has proposed to form an alliance including the Congress called the ``Progressive Democratic Front''. This according to the RJD sources will leave open thespace for other parties to join hands in future. Laloo prasad is hopeful that at least the CPI(M) may support the proposed front.Laloo's moves have at least had some impact in the Bihar Congress today when 20 AICC members of Bihar demanded dismissal of BPCC president Sadanand Singh for supporting the dismissal of the Rabri Devi Government. The AICC members, in a letter written to Congress President Sonia Gandhi said it was ``sad and unfortunate'' that PCC President and 40 other office-bearers had reportedly revolted against the Congress high command in protest against the CWC decision.``The statement by PCC office bearers against Sonia for the purpose of generating pressure on the decision to oppose the President rule in Bihar has created confusions in the rank and file of state party,'' the letter said. The AICC members urged Sonia to intervene in the matter and ``check such growth of indiscipline by sacking those who resigned from their posts in protest against the decision''.However, Sadanand singhdenied that he had ever opposed the CWC decision against Central rule in Bihar. ``I can't oppose a decision taken at the national level. My name is being dragged into such controversial matters.''
