Janata Dal president and Bihar Chief MinisterLaloo Prasad Yadav apparently believes in American general George Patton who said that a war is won not by sacrificing your life but forcing your enemy to do so.
After moving the Delhi high court in his bitter struggle for retaining the party chief's post, Laloo Yadav reclines luxuriously in the VIP suite of Bihar Niwas in New Delhi and holds forth on his plans. He is sure that he has taken the right step in the overall interest of the party and would continue to fight for his rights as the JD president. In this interview to
Tara Shankar Sahay, he leaves little doubt that he is the undisputed supremo of the party. Excerpts:
You have just moved the Delhi high court against party returning officer P K Samantray's petition which restrained you from interfering in the JD presidential election. Don't you think the legal wrangles will get you nowhere and eventually cause a split in your party?
Don't ask boring questions. I have already answered these
so many times. If fraud and forgery is foisted on the JD president,
he will not keep quiet. He will do everything to restore his dignity
and prestige and give an appropriate reply to the conspirators.
So all the senior JD leaders are conspirators in your perception?
No, I am talking about Samantray and Sharad Yadav. As the
working president, Sharad played a fraud on me. He began manipulating the voters's lists. It is sheer treachery because I gave political shelter to that man and facilitated his entry into Parliament. I
gave him prestige and glory. But you can't fool
around with Laloo Yadav, he knows how to deal with such people.
You have summoned a meeting of the JD national executive though you have been restrained by the court from interfering in the party's presidential election.
Listen, now the honourable (Delhi) high court has asked Samantray
and company to explain certain relevant and extremely important
points. I won't say anything on the matter because it is for the
court to decide. But for you information, I am the president of
the JD till June 10 when the results would be declared and the name
of the new president would be announced. Until then, I can excercise the powers of the president as the party's national executive has become defunct.
With both sides going to court, don't you think that the party would split?
In my party, only I can be called a mass leader. I have substantial
following, both in Parliament and the state assembly. The people
of Bihar see me as their undisputed leader. So I don't think there
will be any split. For, people who are talking about such an
eventuality will have to take cognisance of my political standing.
Is it true that you pleaded with senior party leaders that you should be allowed to continue as the JD president for at least six months so that you can fight the charges in the fodder scam?
The party leaders are discussing various alternatives. But
as far as I am concerned, I will play by the party constitution.
Do you think you will emerge unscathed from this controversy?
What controversy? What crisis? There is nothing but fraud sought
to be foisted on me. As you can see, I will not allow fraud to take place.
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Make Dandavate, Surendra Mohan returning officers for JD presidential poll: Delhi high court
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