Zee Media Bureau
Patna: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is taking inspiration from the Congress.
On Monday, when RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was sent to jail after being convicted in the multi-crore fodder scam case, his wife Rabri Devi on Monday said that she and her son will now run the party "as Sonia Gandhi and Rahul are guiding the Congress".
Rabri said she and her son will carry on the work which Lalu was doing and will run the party in his absence "as he had created the party and nourished it".
Rabri, who has had three stints as chief minister of Bihar, said, "As Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are guiding Congress, which their ancestors had created so too we will provide strength to RJD to keep it strong."
54-year-old Rabri Devi has two sons -- Tej Pratap and Tejaswi Yadav, who had accompanied Lalu Prasad to Ranchi for the crucial court proceeding yesterday and is being looked upon as the heir apparent.
"Rabri Devi is our leader. She is still there to guide us," party secretary general Ramkripal Yadav said after the court verdict.
Rabri Devi had been pushed into forefront of Bihar politics in 1997 when she became the chief minister of the state, having been chosen by Prasad to replace him after he relinquished the post in the wake of fodder scam.
She had served as the chief minister again from 1999 for about a year and then again from 2000-2005.
Asked about the role Tejaswi will play, Ramkripal said the party would decide the future role of leaders.
Senior RJD leader Prabhunath Singh said that party workers have faith in Lalu Prasad so they will continue to work with the same dedication even in his absence.
(With PTI inputs)
