Laloo In Trouble As Jd State Councils Support Sharad

Janata Dal working president Sharad Yadav yesterday appeared to have more support in the party s state councils - which votes to elect the party president - than the incumbent Laloo Prasad, who is desperately trying to retain the post in spite of the controversy around him in the animal husbandry scam.

Perhaps aware of this, Laloo Prasad is likely to make a last ditch effort to get the party to agree on a third candidate in the negotiations, which started off yesterday night, even while maintaining the public posture that he would fight it out with Sharad Yadav.

His supporters yesterday also talked of a dark horse as a consensus choice. From among those who met Laloo Prasad, significance was yesterday attached to his meeting with Union minister R L Jalappa who is from Karnataka.

For Sharad Yadav, however, it appears to be a now or never situation and he is unlikely to agree on a third choice. Consequently, the two Yadavs are all set to be in the fray when nominations close today. The negotiations for consensus might then spill over to until the last date of withdrawal on June 2. Both the Yadavs yesterday refused to say anything except that in the case of a lack of consensus, there will be a fight . Dal leaders considered close to former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda were out of bound for journalists for the third consecutive day yesterday.

Significantly, the president of the party s largest state unit yesterday said that partymen in his state council wanted a full timer president. By this count Laloo Prasad is instantly ruled out, unless he quits as Chief Minister of Bihar.

There is a general talk in the party that Sharad might win hands down if elections are held as he was the one who got the party memberships completed in the states and got the state councils elected. Sharad had met Prime Minister I K Gujral on Monday night.

According to party sources, while Laloo Prasad was busy defending himself from the political onslaught in the wake of the fodder scam controversy, Sharad quietly consolidated his strength in the party and the state councils. These councils vote to elect the party president.

Laloo Prasad is banking on the fact that he is the lone crowd puller in the party. Besides, his supporters maintain that Sharad would have to depend on Laloo Prasad for getting elected to the Lok Sabha when elections are held.

Both the Yadavs are busy assessing their support base in the party. Laloo Prasad faced a major setback when he failed to hold a meeting of the political affairs committee (PAC) of the party yesterday when senior leaders ignored his efforts. Prasad had announced to journalists on Monday that he would call the PAC yesterday.

Laloo Prasad has been camping in Delhi for the last three days with the determination to retain the party presidentship. He even made it public on Monday when he told journalists that he was already the party chief and that the party elections were being held in accordance with the directive of the Election Commission.