Pappu revolts against Lalu, to resign from LS membership

Incarcerated Rashtriya Janata Dal Lok Sabha member Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav on Saturday said he would resign from the membership of the House and the party soon.

Pappu Yadav is enraged by Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad's 'highhandedness' in the distribution of tickets for the assembly polls ignoring the 'genuine' claims of party workers.

"Let me take the oath of the House first and then I will resign after informing the people of Madhepura Lok Sabha constituency, the seat I won by a huge margin on an RJD ticket," Pappu Yadav told a group of reporters when he was being produced before the Central Bureau of Investigation court.

• 'Lalu's arrogance will cause his downfall'

He said he would seek election afresh from Madhepura.

Pappu has already resigned from the party's parliamentary board.

Talking to newspersons in Patna, RJD chief Lalu Prasad dared Pappu Yadav to quit the party or resign as MP. "I dont care, he (Pappu) is free to quit or go wherever he likes."

RJD poll prospects in the assembly elections would remain unaffected irrespective of whether Pappu leaves the party or not, Lalu said.

"Pappu is a mobile party. He should leave the RJD without any delay as such people have tarnished the image of the RJD," he said.

• 'It is united NDA vs disintegrated UPA in Bihar'

Pappu Yadav charged the RJD boss with 'nominating brokers and touts' for contesting the elections 'ignoring' workers in the grassroots.

He hinted that he would rejoin Ramvilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party after quitting the RJD. He and his supporters would campaign against the RJD in his stronghold of Madhepura, Saharsa and Purnea districts, he said.

He had quit the LJP last year to join the RJD after he was defeated in the Purnea Lok Sabha seat in the last year's parliamentary polls. He then won the Madhepura Lok Sabha by-election last year.

Pappu Yadav, who is lodged in the Beur jail in connection with the murder of Communist Party of India (Marxist) member of Legislative Assembly Ajit Sarkar, said Lalu had given tickets to criminals and rapist by ignoring his supporters in his stronghold areas.

Sources said Lalu Prasad gave Pappu Yadav's loyalists only two to three tickets.

With PTI inputs