RJD meet on January 6 to discuss future after Lalu's conviction in fodder scam

NEW DELHI: The Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar has called a meeting of its functionaries, including district and block unit heads, on January 6 to discuss the party’s future course of action after its president Lalu Prasad was convicted in a second fodder scam case and sent to jail.
Lalu has been lodged in Jharkhand’s Birsa Munda Jail in Ranchi since his conviction on December 23.The court is scheduled to announce the quantum of punishment on January 3.

The RJD’s January 6 meeting is politically significant in view of the attempts by his son and Bihar’s leader of opposition in the assembly, Tejashwi Prasad, to bring the party under his total control in the absence of Lalu. Tejashwi has been in full swing since he returned to Patna on Monday evening from Ranchi.
“He held meetings with RJD’s top leaders in the presence of his mother and former chief minister Rabri Devi at 10, Circular Road (Lalu’s residence in Patna). RJD’ old guards who are considered very close to Lalu were also present at the meeting. Then, it was decided to hold a meeting with party functionaries on January 6,” a source in the party told ET over the phone from the Bihar capital.
According to him, the meeting will be attended by all MLAs, former MLAs, leaders who had lost assembly polls in 2015, MPs and former MPs, apart from district and block presidents. Sources said the RJD has called the meeting mainly to collect feedback at the ground level following the conviction of Lalu.