Amid political churn in Bihar, Assembly Speaker calls on Lalu

RJD President Lalu Prasad meets Bihar Assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary amid political churn in the State.

Bihar Assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary on Sunday called on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad, at a time when the State was witnessing a big political churn.

Mr. Chaudhary, who himself belongs to the RJD, met the party supremo at the official residence of the latter's wife and former CM Rabri Devi. Mr. Prasad's elder son and Minister Tej Pratap Yadav, who stays in a different house, had accompanied the Speaker during the visit.

After the meeting, Mr. Chaudhary told reporters, “I had met Lalu ji to extend greetings on the eve of the New Year. There was nothing political about it.” The development came close on the heels of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar taking over as the national president of Janata Dal (United), following the resignation of his trusted aide Rajiv Ranjan Singh “Lalan”.

There had been speculations that Mr. Lalan had grown too close to Mr. Prasad which had made Mr. Kumar, the JD(U)'s supreme leader, uncomfortable. However, in a gesture that appeared to be aimed at dispelling such speculations, Mr. Kumar took Mr. Lalan along when he received a rousing welcome here from the JD(U) cadre upon return from Delhi on Friday night.

Mr. Lalan has also threatened to sue media organisations that had carried reports alleging that he held a meeting of JD(U) MLAs here, at the behest of the RJD, to plot the dethroning of Mr. Kumar. The reports had suggested that the alleged plan was aimed at the elevation of Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD supremo's younger son and heir apparent.

Interestingly, Mr. Kumar has on more than one occasion expressed his intent to pass over the mantle to the young RJD leader, and made it clear that the latter will be leading the ruling Mahagathbandhan in the next Assembly election in 2025.

Notably, the day also saw Mr. Kumar visiting a private hospital here to meet Shivanand Tiwary, an old associate who has nonetheless been closer to Mr. Prasad and is a national vice-president of the RJD.