Raghuvansh Prasad Singh had been unhappy with the party for some time.
Patna:
One of Lalu Yadav’s senior associates, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, resigned from the RJD in a major setback for Bihar’s main opposition party ahead of state elections. The former Union minister may join Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United, sources say.
Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has been with the RJD or Rashtriya Janata Dal since its inception in 1997 and with Lalu Yadav since his days in Janata Dal. He is currently in the ICU at AIIMS hospital in Delhi, being treated for complications after a coronavirus infection.
“After the death of Karpuri Thakur, I was after you for 32 years, but nothing more,” the 74-year-old said in a handwritten note on plain paper to Lalu Yadav. With a not so firm hand, he also wrote that he had received a lot of love and support from the party, “please forgive me.” According to RJD leaders, the note seemed to rule out any chance of a change of mind.
Singh had been unhappy for some time with the party, which Lalu Yadav’s son, Tejashwi, has been leading since his father went to jail on corruption charges.
Letter from Raghuvansh Prasad Singh to the party in June
In a letter sent to the party in June, Singh had said he was unhappy with the kind of people who had been brought to RJD in recent months.
By this time, five of the eight RJD members in Bihar’s upper house had resigned and passed over to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s party. Lalu Yadav’s wife and former chief minister, Rabri Devi, is among the three remaining members of the legislative council (MLC).
Singh also reportedly complained about “businessmen” being chosen for Rajya Sabha’s seats.
Sources say that when he is released from the hospital, Singh may join Nitish Kumar, who took a “personal interest” in his treatment and also facilitated his trip to Delhi during the lockdown.
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