RJD's alliance with Congress will continue in Bihar: Lalu

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today said despite a defeat in the Lok Sabha elections his party's alliance with the Congress would continue. The RJD chief also dismissed any murmuring within the alliance. "I had a meeting with Congress leaders day before yesterday in Delhi in which Congress president Sonia Gandhi and its vice president Rahul Gandhi besides National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah were present and there was no talk of any murmuring within secular alliance in the face of defeat," Prasad told reporters after party's poll review meeting here yesterday. "I don't know who is saying what...may be those who did not get ticket in the Lok Sabha from Congress are blaming the alliance for defeat," he said, in reply to a question on a section of Congress leaders at the meet. "Our alliance with Congress will continue in Bihar in future," he said emphatically. The RJD president earlier in the day presided over a marathon review meeting with party nominees in the recently-held general elections and also party office bearers and leaders.

Former Union minister Raghubansh Prasad Singh, ex-chief minister Rabri Devi, RJD Legislature party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui and Prem Chand Gupta were present among others.

Even in the defeat, Prasad did not miss to take pride in the fact that his party at least performed better than rival Nitish Kumar's JD(U). "JD(U) lost security in 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar whereas RJD forfeited deposit only at one place in West Champaran," Prasad said taking a potshots at Kumar.

RJD managed to win four Lok Sabha seats in Bihar on its own while its partner Congress won two seats. NCP bagged one. JD(U) slumped to two seats from 20 it had won in 2009.

BJP, LJP and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party alliance cornered 31 out of a total of 40 LS seats in the state. Yesterday, the Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee in a meeting reviewed the drubbing of the party in the state with leaders and candidates ruing the tie-up with Prasad's RJD and proposed either an understanding with the JD(U) or going it alone in the crucial assembly polls next year.