Lalu Prasad Yadav loyalist Ram Kripal Yadav quits party posts over ticket row

NEW DELHI: Upset over denial of ticket from Patliputra Lok Sabha seat, RJD leader Ram Kripal Yadav, a close aide of Lalu Prasad, today quit from all party posts but said he was in the party "as of now".

Addressing a press conference two days after RJD named Lalu's daughter Misa Bharti as candidate from Patliputra in Bihar, he disputed his party chief's version that he had not expressed his inclination to contest from the seat.

Referring to Misa Bharti's visit to his home here yesterday and staying put for five hours in a bid to persuade him, he said it was an attempt at "emotional blackmail".

Yadav, currently a Rajya Sabha member and a three-time Lok Sabha MP from Patna, said he was still in the party and has not quit Rajya Sabha.

He said the party, which was born to uphold the principles of social justice, now appeared to be interested in "family justice".