What`s cooking? Sonia Gandhi dials RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav ahead of Bihar bypolls

Lalu Prasad Yadav said Sonia Gandhi asked about his well-being and he told her to form a strong alternative to BJP.

New Delhi: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi dialed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday (October 26) amid row in the grand alliance in Bihar.  

Speaking to ANI, Yadav said that he told Sonia Gandhi to form a strong alternative to BJP at the national level politics. “I spoke to Sonia Gandhi. She asked me about my well-being and whereabouts. I said, I'm fine, your party is an all India party so get all like-minded people and parties together to form a strong alternative (to ruling party) and call a meeting of all people,” the RJD chief was quoted as saying by the news agency. 

The telephonic conversation comes in the wake of Congress and RJD breaking off the alliance ahead of the by-polls in Kusheshwar Asthan (SC) and Tarapur Assembly constituencies in Bihar to be held on October 30.

Attacking Congress, Lalu Yadav had earlier said that RJD’s candidates would lose their deposit in the bypolls if they continue to be in alliance with the grand old party in the state.
Changing tune on Tuesday, the RJD chief said that his party has always supported Congress in every situation.

The RJD and the Congress had fought the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls as coalition partners. RJD emerged as the single-largest party with 75 seats, while Congress bagged 19 of the 70 seats it had contested in the 243-seat Bihar Legislative Assembly.

Meanwhile, Lalu Prasad Yadav said on Tuesday he would ensure the "visarjan" of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the ruling NDA in Bihar as he will be campaigning at Kusheshwar Asthan (SC) and Tarapur by-elections. "I was unwell and was in detention because of which I missed two elections, but now bye-elections are happening and I have managed to come back because of people's love," the former Bihar CM added. 

Yadav has returned to Bihar after over three years. Earlier in April this year, the Jharkhand High Court had granted bail to RJD supremo, who was undergoing treatment at Ranchi`s Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences for two years. He was shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi in January. 

(With agency inputs)