Sadhu Yadav rebels against Lalu, to join Congress

NEW DELHI: RJD chief Lalu Prasad's brother-in-law, Sadhu Yadav, on Tuesday expressed his desire to join Congress. Raising a banner of revolt
against RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Sadhu Yadav accused him of "kneeling down" before LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan and announced that he will contest the polls from two seats in Bihar.

"I am a sitting MP and have been winning elections. Prakash Jha was nothing but has been given a ticket from Betiah seat even though he had lost in the last election contesting as an independent. This shows that Lalu Prasad has knelt down before Ram Vilas Paswan," Yadav said.

"I will contest elections from both Betiah and Motihari seats which have been given to LJP," Yadav told reporters. He, however, refused to disclose whether he will contest as an independent candidate or join any other party.

When asked why he was going against RJD chief who also happens to be his relative, Yadav said, "No relationship in politics.... My personal relationship has nothing to do with what I am doing. It's my struggle for social justice. I will contest election to retain the respect of my people."

Yadav said that he is not alone and has support from a large number of party men such as senior RJD leader Ramai Ram.

"Ram will contest against Ram Vilas Paswan from Samastipur while Jainarayan Prasad Nishad (former RJD leader) will contest from Vaishali and Muzaffarpur seats," he announced.

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Uma Bharti supports Advani's prime ministerial candidature

NEW DELHI: Bhartiya Janshakti Party leader Uma Bharti has now come in support of L K Advani's prime ministerial candidature.

Bharti, who left BJP accusing partisan behaviour of Advani, is understood to have expressed her support for the veteran leader in a letter, sources said. The letter saying that she would be "happy to see Advani at the Prime Minister's chair" was delivered to Advani's office through Bharti's aide.

The contents of the letter also found a mention in the proceeding of the party's central election committee which met today.

Bharti, a former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, may also be vying a patch up ahead of the Lok Sabha polls after her Bhartiya Janshakti party was virtually routed in the last assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh. Bharti herself had failed to win her pocket borough Tikamgarh.

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Congress rejects seat-sharing deal between RJD and LJP

NEW DELHI: An angry Congress
on Tuesday rejected the seat-sharing deal announced by the RJD and LJP in Bihar, saying the deal was "not
acceptable" and it would contest "as many seats as possible".

"We have decided to contest as many seats as possible. We will take a decision and come back to you in a day or two," senior Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters here.

AICC secretary Iqbal Singh, in-charge of Bihar, said leaving three seats to Congress was not acceptable.

Shinde, the in-charge of central screening committee of Bihar said, "they have left just three seats. Our workers are in so much anger. We were ready with a list of eleven candidates."

Asked whether this would lead to a division of secular votes in the state, Shinde said that Congress has been "very cooperative" from the beginning but somehow it has not clicked.

Shinde said there is a lot of pressure on the party and "our workers are saying we should contest as many seats as possible. We have to keep the sentiments of our workers in mind. How can we show our face to them if we do not contest more seats."

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