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The dinner meeting on Tuesday night of the Rashtriya Janata Dal rebel MPs at the residence of Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha showed the National Democratic Alliance government's desperation to oust the Rabri Devi ministry in Bihar.
A leading RJD (Democratic) MP, now party chief Laloo Prasad Yadav's main adversary, confirmed to rediff.com that the dinner meeting at Sinha's residence had discussed "ways and means" to topple the RJD government.
Significantly, the meeting came soon after Laloo expelled Rajya Sabha member Mahendra Prasad Singh. Laloo had earlier expelled Ranjan Prasad Yadav and Bhante Dhamma Viriyo.
"We have repeatedly said how these Mir Jafars (the legendary traitor) have sought to stab our party in the back to destabilise the Rabri Devi government. Their efforts are doomed because we are united under Laloo's and Rabri Devi's leadership," thundered senior party leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh on phone from Patna to rediff.com.
Singh expressed confidence that the RJD chief would "get justice from the machinations of communal and anti-people forces which were trying to destabilise the Bihar government in league with self-seeking politicians who have been expelled from the party."
Ranjan Prasad Yadav said the rebel MPs are in touch with former Bihar finance minister Shankar Prasad Tekriwal, who is leading the campaign in Patna.
However, Yadav pointed out that details of the proposed trip of rebel RJD MPs to Patna was where they would be agitating for the ouster of Rabri Devi's government is being worked out.
The rebel MPs are maintaining that they are certain that Laloo would be jailed soon in the latest fodder scam case where he and 109 others are accused of fraudulently withdrawing Rs 1.39 billion from Ranchi's Dorandra Treasury in 1996.
Yadav pointed out that according to their legal opinion, it would be extremely difficult for Laloo to obtain bail and he would be lodged like a common inmate.
The timing of the CBI special court's non-bailable warrant of arrest against the RJD chief appears to be crucial for the rebels' oust-Laloo-Rabri rule in Bihar.
The RJD rebels feel that if Laloo goes to jail, he would not be able to remote-control the state government and that would trigger its collapse.
Yadav also felt that given the serious nature of the scam, Laloo's bail plea would be rejected.
However, the splinter RJD group are yet to mobilise the crucial support of 39 RJD legislators.
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