Lalu says no 'roadblocks' in seat allotment in alliance

Amid hectic parleys to sort out seats among partners of grand secular alliance, RJD President Lalu Prasad today said there was no "roadblocks" in the process and the list would be declared on time.
He, however, appealed to RJD workers to be prepared to sacrifice as the party would field candidates only on 100 seats out of a total of 243.
"Its not a free time like in the past when lantern (RJD election symbol) fought on all 243 seats. In the changed context of this elections, the party has got 100 seats on which we have to select candidates," Prasad told reporters after a meeting of RJD Central Parliamentary Board.

Asked when the list would be made public, Prasad said "there is no roadblocks in the process and the list would be announced on time."
Earlier, the Central Parliamentary Board adopted a resolution passed by state party Parliamentary board authorising Lalu Prasad to select candidates and sort out issues with allies.
Prasad, however, asked state RJD President Ramchandra Purbe as well party Vice President Raghubansh Prasad Singh to make necessary correction and authorise Central Parliamentary Board and not him for finalising name of candidates.

Meanwhile, media reports suggest JD(U) President Sharad Yadav, who was camping in Patna for past four days, left for Delhi this afternoon after failing to defend seats of some close confidante JD(U) MLAs from going into RJD hands.

"We have to leave something, Nitish Kumar's party has to leave some seats and so is the case with Congress," Prasad said while appealing to ticket seekers not to make hue and cry for the ticket.
"Within this 100 seats some old friends would go while some new ones would come," the RJD chief said in a bid to make leaders aware of changed political scenario in the October-November poll.
He advised party leaders to make workers understand that "the fight this time is big as we have to stop BJP from coming to power...Be prepared to sacrifice personal greeds."

In reply to a question on Union Finance minister Arun Jaitley accusing Nitish Kumar and Prasad of sacrificing legacy of socialist leader Rammanohar Lohia by aligning with Congress, the RJD chief defended Congress and said it was basically a movement out of which all leaders have emerged.
Congress party and its leaders have made sacrifice for the country, he said.