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Updated October 26th, 2021 at 13:31 IST

Lalu Yadav expects Congress to be 'strong alternative' to BJP at national level

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav said on Tuesday that he expects the INC to become a 'strong alternative' to the Bharatiya Janata Party at the national level.

Reported by: Aayush Anandan
Lalu Yadav
Image: PTI | Image:self
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Days before bypolls are held for two Assembly seats in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav said on Tuesday that he expects Congress to become a strong alternative to the BJP at the national level. The veteran politician also said that the RJD has always supported Congress at the national level in every situation.

"I agree that my alliance is with the Congress on a national level. But at the state level, the situation is different. At the national level, we want a strong alternative to the BJP and therefore I have always supported Congress in every situation," Yadav said.

'Alliance is formed with like-minded people, secular forces': Lalu Yadav

Saying that the prime role should be that of Congress, the RJD supremo said, "Has anyone helped Congress more than us? It is an old party, an all-India party, we still consider them so.”

"Alliance is formed with like-minded people, secular forces. At the state level also, we formed an alliance with Congress, the Left and other parties. Let people say whatever they want to," he added.

It should be mentioned here that earlier, Lalu Prasad Yadav had revealed that the RJD candidates for the by-polls would lose their deposit in the elections if they remained in alliance with the Congress in the state ahead of the bypolls in two Assembly constituencies.

Further slamming the Centre over rising prices, the RJD leader said, "Fuel prices are soaring and diesel is costing more than ghee. How will people cook without mustard oil?"

Lalu Prasad Yadav recently returned to Bihar after almost three years. The Jharkhand high court had granted bail to Lalu Prasad back in April. For almost two years, the former Bihar chief minister was undergoing treatment at Ranchi's Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences and was shifted to Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences in January.

RJD was single largest party in 2020 Bihar elections

Bihar's ruling coalition, NDA, had won 125 seats against the Mahagathbandhan's 110. The contest remained tight throughout as RJD became the single largest party with 75 seats and the BJP won 74 seats. Congress only won 19 seats. The biggest improvement was seen from Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM which won 5 seats and the CPI-ML won 12 seats.

Congress and RJD fight bypolls separately

Notably, after RJD refused to let Congress contest from Kusheshwar Asthan, the latter fielded its candidates on both seats going to the polls. Meanwhile, AICC Bihar in-charge Bhakt Charan Das hinted that RJD had struck a deal with BJP and announced that Congress will go solo in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. 

The Assembly seats of Kusheshwar Asthan and Tarapur will go to the polls on October 30 and the counting of votes will take place on November 2. 

(With inputs from ANI)

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Published October 26th, 2021 at 13:31 IST

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