RJD "18th century, old model" party, youths have no future

The BJP on Monday dubbed Lalu Prasad's RJD as an "18th century, old model" party in which the younger generation, including his three children active in politics, had no future.

The saffron party's fresh tirade came in the wake of speculations in a section of the media that the RJD founder, in Ranchi serving sentences in fodder scam cases for more than a year, is likely to run for his 11th consecutive term as the party's national president.

Filing of nomination papers for the party's national president's election is scheduled for Tuesday.

While there has been no official word on the issue so far, RJD sources said the ailing septuagenarian leader's nomination papers were ready and will be submitted here by his representative.

Prasad, who has been disqualified from taking part in electoral politics since his first conviction in a fodder scam case in 2013, was last elected to the RJD national president's post for a two-year term in November, 2017.

The wily leader had sought to make clear the line of succession by getting passed a unanimous resolution, before again landing behind bars, that his younger son Tejashwi Yadav shall be the RJD's Chief Ministerial candidate in the next Assembly polls in the state.

This has, however, failed to prevent the eruption of a feud between the heir apparent and Prasad's eldest daughter Misa Bharti and elder son Tej Pratap Yadav who are members of the Rajya Sabha and the state Assembly respectively.

In a statement dripping with sarcasm, BJP state spokesman Nikhil Anand said, "The RJD is an 18th century, old model political party in which the younger generation has no future. By a divine vision acquired in jail, like Sanjaya (a character in the Mahabharata, who is said to be a clairvoyant), Lalu ji has learnt that none of his party leaders, including Tejashwi Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav and Misa Bharti, have the capability to hold the national president's post".

Drawing a parallel with Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP another family-controlled party, which is the BJP's ally in Bihar, Anand remarked, "At least he has sent across the message that the future belongs to the young by making Chirag Paswan (son) the national president and Prince Raj (nephew) the state unit chief."