Ranjan stripped of party post

By Our Staff Correspondent

PATNA, APRIL 18. Even as the dissidents in the ruling RJD are preparing for a showdown over the issue of their leader, Dr. Ranjan Prasad Yadav, being stripped of his post as working president, the party supremo, Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav, today threw a gauntlet at the disgruntled elements to part and float their own outfit.

Mr. Yadav formally removed Dr. Yadav from his post today taking the dissidents by surprise and he sought to take the battle into their camp by daring them to split the party, reacting to the threat of the dissidents to hold a meeting after the conclusion of the panchayat elections on April 30 to take stock of the situation in the light of the action against their leader.

The RJD president said he had merely sought to correct the mistake he had committed while appointing Dr. Yadav as working president as the party's constitution did not provide for such a post at the central level.

Mr. Yadav also justified his action taking exception to Dr. Yadav's silence in the Rajya Sabha over the defence deal scam which he said had sent a wrong signal about the party's stand over the controversy. He clarified that he had not removed Dr. Yadav from the party and that he was eligible to attend the national executive meeting commencing on April 28 as its member.

On the other hand, the Minister of State for Youth and Culture, Dr. Monazir Hassan, took up cudgels on behalf of the dissident camp. Present at his press conference were five other legislators including two former ministers.

Dr. Hassan described the decision of Mr. Yadav as unfortunate and a cruel joke and said that they still treated Dr. Yadav as the working president and had full confidence in him. He said that the dissidents would hold a meeting after April 30 and would effect a change in the leadership by May 10.

He pointed out that Dr. Yadav had been formally appointed as the working president and the Election Commission too had been notified about the powers vested in him. He was, however, categorical that they would not seek the help of the BJP or any communal forces to form the next government.

The dissidents were, however, divided over the issue of faith in the leadership of the RJD supremo. While the former Minister, Mr. S. P. Tekriwal, was opposed to Mr. Yadav's leadership, Dr. Hassan and former Minister, Mr. Ram Das Rai, disassociated themselves from the former's views. They reaffirmed their confidence in the leadership of their president and said that their objective was to see Dr. Yadav as the Chief Minister.

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Section  : Other States
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