Lalu to work hard to get RJD back on track-"Abhi main budha (old) nahi hua hoon,""Abhi to main jawan hoon"Nov 29, 2010,

Lalu to work hard to get RJD back on track

Gyan Prakash, TNN, Nov 29, 2010, 05.11am IST


PATNA: RJD chief Lalu Prasad is not in a mood to accept his defeat in Bihar assembly polls. "There was no hurricane which swept us," remarked Lalu after the party's legislature party meeting which elected state RJD chief Abdul Bari Siddiqui as its leader in Bihar legislative assembly on Sunday.

Lalu said that he accepts people's mandate and would soon convene a meeting of district chiefs, and both victor and vanquished MLAs to review the reason behind the loss. "Abhi main budha (old) nahi hua hoon," Lalu said and then went on to remind Malika Pukhraj ( Pakistan)'s famous flick -- "Abhi to main jawan hoon" (I am still young). He said that he had seen many upheavals in his life, but was never upset. This, too, will pass away."

With parliamentary elections three years from now, Lalu said, he would work hard to bring the RJD on right track. Lalu, however, was categorical in saying that no development model of the NDA helped the latter to win with such a huge majority. "Which state in India has gone to the polls without development plank?" Lalu asked and mentioned chief minister Nitish Kumar has, in fact, tried to demolish the social justice concept by wrongly indulging in social engineering.

Moreover, the NDA should not be in an upbeat mode as it has got only 40 percent of votes while the entire opposition bagged 60 percent votes.

"I am very much hopeful that Nitish Kumar would live up to his assurances and fulfill people's expectation. On my part, I will play the role of a constructive opposition and support government's people-friendly policies," the RJD chief said.

Earlier, during the RJD legislature party meeting the name of Abdul Bari Siddiqui for the RJDLP leader was proposed by Raghvendra Pratap Singh and seconded by Samrat Chowdhary and Surendra Yadav. Siddiqui was unanimously elected to the post.

Siddiqui said that he would live up to the expectations of Lalu and Rabri Devi, besides the party's MLAs who have reposed faith in him. It is a great task, but I would perform the role of leader of opposition with great responsibility, he said.

Rabri said, "We accept the defeat and would go to the people to strengthen the party."