Fresh jolt to Lalu; RJD MLA resigns

Patna, Jun 13 (PTI) In a jolt to RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, his close confidant Shyam Razak today resigned from the Bihar Assembly and quit the party, saying it has become the "fiefdom" of the former chief minister.

Razak, who was the party's national general secretary, wrote to Prasad saying he was resigning from the party and apprised him of quitting the state Assembly as well.

A member of RJD's core committee, Razak sent his letter resigning from the House to Speaker Udai Narain Choudhary. The Speaker's office said his resignation has been accepted.

Razak is likely to join the ruling JD(U) soon in the presence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, sources said.

Lashing out at Prasad for RJD's humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar, where the party could win only four seats this time against 22 it got in 2004, Razak felt the party would be "finished soon".

"The existence of both RJD and Lalu Prasad is at stake," he said alleging that, once a champion of social justice and secularism, the party had become Prasad's "fiefdom".

Razak, a three-time MLA, remained a minister for nearly nine years in the Lalu-Rabri government.

He was sulking ever since he lost to JD(U) in the last Lok Sabha polls in Jamui (SC) seat and blamed RJD workers for "not working whole-heartedly" for his success.

JD(U) is likely to nominate him for the by-poll to seat, which has now fallen vacant. PTI AJK PC KNO