Lalu Prasad faces revolt by senior colleagues for fielding daughter

RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Friday battled a revolt by senior colleagues after fielding his daughter as a candidate in the coming Lok Sabha elections and denying ticket to other aspirants.

On Thursday, Lalu Prasad announced the names of candidates for 25 of the 27 constituencies his Rashtriya Janata Dal will contest in alliance with the Congress in Bihar. According to the list, daughter Misa Bharti will be the RJD nominee in Patliputra in Patna and wife Rabri Devi in Saran.

Some of the party's influential leaders were furious that he had given ticket to his daughter and ignored their interests.

Senior RJD leader Ramkirpal Yadav, a Rajya Sabha MP who has been close to Lalu Prasad for over two decades, had wanted to contest from Patliputra constituency. Informed sources said he had made up mind to resign from the party and was likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "Ramkirpal is upset and feels betrayed and cheated by Lalu who had promised to field him (from Patliputra)," a RJD leader close to Ramkirpal Yadav said. He left Patna for New Delhi Friday, ostensibly to meet BJP leaders.

Another senior RJD leader, Ghulam Ghaus, has said he would contest as an independent from West Champaran after the party denied him the ticket. "Lalu has ignored people like me who worked hard for the party," he said.

Suresh Paswan is another RJD leader and former minister who had revolted against Lalu Prasad, saying committed leaders now have no place in the party. "I will decide my future course of action within two days," said Paswan, who was expecting to be made a candidate in Gaya or Jamui Lok Sabha constituency.

Another man who is angry in the RJD is former minister Iliyas Hussain, who has not been picked as a candidate.

Last month, four rebel RJD legislators did not attend a party meeting amid reports of a split in the party. The party has 22 members in the 243-member assembly.

Rabri Devi, a former chief minister, will contest from Saran, from where Lalu Prasad won in 2009. But he had to quit after being convicted in the multi-crore fodder scam last year.