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Laloo set to continue as RJD chief

By Our Special Correspondent

The RJD chief, Laloo Prasad Yadav, filing his nomination papers for the party's national president elections in Patna on Friday. Photo: Ranjeet Kumar

PATNA Oct. 3. The Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Bihar Chief Minister, Laloo Prasad Yadav, is all set to continue as the national president of the party for the fourth successive term, being the only person to file the nomination papers for the post today.

The returning officer, Ramchandra Purve, who is also Bihar's Parliamentary Affairs Minister, found Mr. Yadav's papers in order and said a formal announcement would be made at the two-day national council meeting starting on October 10 here.

Mr. Yadav founded the party in 1997 after splitting the Janata Dal in the wake of the fodder scam case.

Mr. Yadav said he would work for social justice and secularism and defeat the BJP and its allies in the next election. Underlining his party's alliance with the Congress and his support to its president, Sonia Gandhi, Mr. Yadav said that all like-minded parties should join hands so as to score a victory, and, together "we will elect the next PM".

Replying to a question, he said he was not saying that he would become the Prime Minister now, but if the opportunity came his way later, he would certainly accept it. "Within one week of assuming office as PM, I would solve the Indo-Pak problem," he claimed. The need of the hour was for unity and good relations with all neighbours, as otherwise the country would continue to spend on its defence management at the cost of development activities. "This objective, he said, could not be achieved under the present dispensation as the BJP sought votes in the name of Ram. "They don't have any shame," he said.

Mr. Yadav condemned the bomb attack on the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu, and maintained that it underscored the failure of the Centre and the intelligence set up. "Here too, they see an ISI hand. That is ridiculous... The BJP is raking up the ISI issue to cover up its own failure," he alleged.

Mr. Yadav said there was need for an open dialogue with the naxalites. He charged the Centre with laxity in tackling this problem. "We ask for bullet-proof vehicles and metal detectors. But they refuse to give any help, including the modernisation schemes meant for police that we had submitted to them."

The RJD chief, however, did not fear any attack on him or his wife and Chief Minister, Rabri Devi. "We lead a very open life, mixing with people nonchalantly. We have never been attacked so far and hope that nothing will happen in future as well. You have to be fearless and go about your committed work."

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