Fodder scam: Lalu Prasad Yadav awaits verdict, RJD uneasy

PATNA: The question of leadership has begun to haunt the Rashtriya Janata Dal, which awaits a Ranchi court verdict on Monday in a fodder scam case in which its president Lalu Prasad and 40 others are accused. RJD will have to brace for the political absence of its party chief for a few years, should he be convicted.


An adverse verdict for Prasad would be bad timing as it would come when the Lok Sabha elections are not far away. Legal experts say the former chief minister is likely to be convicted by the trial court and, depending on the quantum of punishment, he will have to spend some time in jail. “If Laluji is convicted by the court, say for 6 or 7 years, he will get bail only after having spent 50% of the jail sentence term,” a legal expert said.

Not surprisingly, there is deep sense of unease within RJD. Prasad himself devoted much time on propitiating the gods. “If Laluji is sent to jail, there will be a huge leadership crisis within the party,” admitted a RJD leader.

In recent times, Lalu’s younger son Tejaswi Yadav has remained politically very active, fuelling speculations whether he would be handed over the baton. RJD source said that Prasad’s wife Rabri Devi, however, favoured her eldest son Tej Pratap Yadav.

“There is nothing to suggest that the war of succession is unfolding in the Rabri-Lalu family. The first time Laluji went to jail, we immediately found the leader to replace him. If Laluji again goes to jail, we will again bank on the same leader (Rabri Devi),” a senior functionary of RJD told ET.

In the absence of Lalu Prasad, the party may lose the Yadav vote as a section of RJD legislators are likely to quit the party. But a party leader disagrees. “Yes there is some concern. If Lalu Prasad is convicted and sent to jail, our vote bank will not be affected. Our voters will back us aggressively if Laluji is sent to jail,” he argued.

Prasad will be confronted with some harsh political reality in the event of a conviction. In that case, Prasad will become a political untouchable for Congress, which may be hesitant of having any political alliance with a party whose chief is convicted.