RJD brass will tackle challenges ahead unitedly: Raghuvansh Prasad Singh

Senior Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh on Monday downplayed speculations that party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav's younger son Tejaswi would now be handed over the leadership of the party following the conviction of his father in connection with the fodder scam case.

He said workers of the political outfit would work together to tackle the challenges ahead at this crucial time.

"Tejaswi Yadav is a young leader. There are several other young leaders in the party," he told media here, when asked whether Tejaswi would now lead the party in Lalu's absence.

"Laluji is our leader. Now, when he is in jail, all party workers and other leaders will fight together to tackle this challenge," he added.

Singh said the RJD has already planned its policies and programmes for the upcoming elections, and added that it will continue to work towards achieving its goals.

"The Rashtriya Janata Dal was formed for the upliftment of the poor, farmers and underprivileged and we will continue to work in that direction," he added.

The RJD leader also used the occasion to lash out at the Janata Dal (United) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for raising objections to the ordinance on convicted politicians.

"The ordinance was issued by their (Congress) high command and leadership. They had got the nod from all the parties. But when the ordinance reaches the President, then the BJP and JD (U) leaders saw that Laluji will be the first victim so they backtracked for political gains," he said

In a major blow to RJD before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Lalu was today convicted by a special CBI court in Ranchi in a fodder scam case that disqualifies him from Parliament and renders him ineligible for contesting elections for at least six years.

The RJD chief, who faces a minimum jail term of three years and a maximum of seven years, has now been taken into custody and taken to Ranchi's Birsa Munda Jail.

As per a recent Supreme Court verdict, a legislator convicted in a case where the minimum sentence is two years in jail will lose his or her seat immediately.

Another 44 accused, including former Bihar Chief Minister Dr. Jagannath Mishra, six politicians and four IAS officers, were also convicted by court of Pravas Kumar Singh for fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa treasury.

The court has fixed October 3 for pronouncement of sentence against Yadav, Mishra and others.

The fodder scam also known as "Chara Ghotala" involved the siphoning of funds from the Bihar Government treasury. The alleged theft spanned over several years, and many Bihar state government administrative and elected officials across multiple administrations were allegedly engaged in it.

The fodder scam was unearthed in Bihar in 1996 when Lalu Prasad was the Chief Minister of the state. He had resigned from the post in 1997 after a court issued an arrest warrant against him in connection with one of the cases.