http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Lalu-out-to-woo-upper-castes/637568
Lalu out to woo upper castes
Agencies Posted online: Wed Jun 23 2010, 15:35 hrs
New Delhi : Keen to regain power in Bihar after a five-year gap, RJD
is set to reach out to upper castes, with its chief Lalu Prasad saying
his party is not against them and wanted to work for their upliftment
along with OBCs, Dalits and Muslims.
RJD will contest the Bihar Assembly polls, expected to be held by
November, in alliance with Lok Janshakti Party of Ramvilas Paswan but
any pre-poll tie-up with Congress is unlikely as the latter is not
inclined.
Viewing JDU and BJP as main rivals in the upcoming polls, Prasad has
decided to go beyond his traditional vote bank of OBCs, Dalits and
Muslims and woo the upper castes who have been upset with him for his
reported barbs against them at Begusarai about 10 years back.
In an interview, he insisted that he never made any comments against
the upper castes and the statements attributed to him were "false" and
"concocted" by his political rivals.
The reported comments of Prasad were seen aimed at provoking the
backwards and Dalits to target four upper castes - Brahmin, Bhumihar,
Rajput and Lala alias Kayasthas.
"I am not against upper castes and never hurt their interests. Few
people tried to pit upper castes against me to suit their political
interests," the former Chief Minister said.
"I believe in taking everybody along. Everybody from Bihar should be
united. That is my appeal," he said, adding his poll plank would be to
work for progress of all.
Expressing confidence of getting upper caste votes in the coming
elections, the RJD chief said, "They have understood who is against
them and have by now also made comparisons after Nitish Kumar came to
power."
RJD, which ruled Bihar for 15 consecutive years from 1990, was
defeated in the 2005 Assembly elections by BJP and JDU. Of this Prasad
was the Chief Minister from 1990 to 1997 and his wife Rabri Devi
succeeded him after he had to go to jail in fodder scam.
In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, RJD is the second largest party with
56 seats. The ruling parties JDU and BJP have 81 and 54 seats
respectively. Ramvilas Paswan led LJP has 12 seats and Congress 10.
"We will win this election and form a government in the next
election... Lalu's genie will once again come out from ballot boxes,"
the RJD chief claimed.
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