Amid reports that sulking senior RJD leader Ram Kripal Yadav may join the BJP after being denied party’s ticket from Patliputra lS seat, the Rajya Sabha member on Friday night relented to the request of Misa Bharti, daughter of lalu Prasad, to replace her as party candidate from Patliputra lok Sabha seat. Yadav told PTI over phone that he has accepted Misa's request to contest on RJD ticket but added, “This would have to be announced by RJD chief lalu Prasad himself."
Earlier party supremo lalu Prasad had rushed his daughter Misa Bharti to New Delhi to placate the miffed leader. Yadav said he was feeling "sorry" that he could not meet Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti, who waited for her 'uncle' at his Delhi residence for nearly five hours. "But, later I had a talk with her over phone in which I agreed to her request that I shall contest from Patliputra seat," he said. Ram Kripal Yadav was upset over Misa being preferred as the party’s candidate from Patliputra in place of him.
He moved to New Delhi on Friday apparently to prevent RJD leaders from approaching him. There was speculation that in the presence of party president Rajnath Singh and state-in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, Ram Kripal Yadav would join the BJP, the party which lalu has been criticising.
Misa attempted to meet Ram Kripal Yadav at his Patna residence, but when she failed in her attempts she followed him to New Delhi.
Misa had said she would wait at “uncle Yadav’s” New Delhi residence until she was able to discuss the matter with him. Misa said she had no clue that Ram Kripal Yadav was interested in contesting elections from the Patliputra seat.
Asked if she would ask her father lalu to withdraw her candidature in favour of Ram Kripal Yadav, Misa had said: “I am ready to do that.”
Known as lalu’s man Friday, Ram Kripal Yadav said he had not quit the RJD but was sad over the party’s decision.
Former Chief Minister Rabri Devi described the incident as a “fight within the family” while lalu said he was not sure what made Yadav angry.
lalu had announced Misa’s name for the Patliputra parliamentary constituency, which he had lost in the last polls. “I don’t know why he is angry...whether it is over a ticket or if it is being instigated by others. Two years of his term in Rajya Sabha are still left. He never staked a claim for the Patliputra seat before me,” lalu said before leaving for campaigning in Chhapra and Siwan.
The RJD supremo said he was confident that Yadav would not ‘ruin’ his life and career by leaving the party. Sources said that RJD legislature party leader in Council Gulam Gaus too was angry after being denied a ticket for the Bettiah seat.