Stop threatening, HC orders Laloo

NEW DELHI, May 31: Janata Dal president Laloo Yadav's bid to hijack the party's presidential polls received a setback today with the Delhi ...

NEW DELHI, May 31: Janata Dal president Laloo Yadav’s bid to hijack the party’s presidential polls received a setback today with the Delhi High Court restraining him from interfering in the election process.

In an exparte order passed late this afternoon during a special sitting of the Delhi High Court, Justice J B Goel directed Laloo not to coerce or “threaten” the two returning officers, P K Samantray and his assistant, B K Prasad, in the exercise of their duties to ensure the smooth conduct of the election.

The court, in response to a petition moved this morning by the returning officer, simultaneously issued a notice to the Bihar Chief Minister and fixed the next date of hearing on June 6, four days before the party’s electoral college elects a new president.

Laloo refused to offer his comments on this “unexpected” development, but till late tonight he was closeted with advisors in his Bihar Niwas suite.The court order threatens to upset Laloo’s gameplan to take the party’s presidential polls to Patna in a bid to ensure his victory. Not only is he likely to be bogged down by the legal wrangle, worse, it is likely to give his opponent, Sharad Yadav, the opportunity to consolidate his position.Laloo’s bid to tinker with the presidential poll process was also criticised by several leaders, including party ideologue, Surendra Mohan, who, alongwith former Karnataka chief minister R K Hegde, is credited with drafting the Constitution of the Janata Dal when it was formed in 1989.“The clauses which Laloo has so profusely cited while issuing, in his capacity as the party president, a show-cause notice on returning officer Samantray, are applicable only in extraordinary circumstances, and not when the election process has been set in motion,” the veteran leader said, “Laloo would be well advised not to embark on such a path.”

He advised the Bihar Chief Minister to “disabuse his mind” from any notion that he could interfere with the poll process by using the party Constitution to his benefit.

In a letter sent today to the party’s national president, Karnataka Janata Dal chief B L Shankar, who is a confidante of former prime minister Deve Gowda, welcomed Samantray’s decision to hold the presidential elections in all State headquarters on June 10. He also appealed to all senior leaders to support the returning officer in his efforts.

Karnataka CM J H Patel also advised his Bihar counterpart to step down gracefully from the party president’s post. Meanwhile pressure mounted on Laloo from different quarters. In Chennai today, the Tamil Nadu unit of the Janata Dal raised its voice against the party president, urging him to withdraw from the contest for the presidentship and pave way for strengthening the party. In Itanagar also, the president of Arunachal Unit of Janata Dal T C Teli, MLA, also urged Laloo to withdraw his candidature for the JD president’s post for the second term, in favour of Sharad Yadav. In a letter, faxed from Itanagar, Teli requested Laloo to refrain from contesting in the greater interest of the party.