Bihar moots Rajghat-style makeover for neglected Prasad memorial

July 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Keen to revive the party's prospects in Bihar ahead of assembly elections in 2010, some Congress leaders from the state are in favour of an alliance with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan, but only if he parts ways with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) boss Lalu Prasad. "There is a strong feeling among Congress leaders and workers from Bihar that the party should have an alliance with Paswan during the assembly elections, but they want it only if he leaves Lalu Prasad," a senior Congress leader from Bihar told IANS.

June 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad Saturday warned the party that excessive dependence on its ally in Bihar, Janata Dal-United (JD-U), could affect its fortunes. At the party's two-day national execitue meeting that started here Saturday, Prasad voiced his concern during discussions over the party performance in various states.

June 2nd, 2009 PATNA - Following the incidents of torching of trains in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday had a verbal duel with former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and accused his decision of introducing numerous halts in the state as the main reason behind the violence. "The Railways, in the previous government, functioned in Lalu's style.

May 19th, 2009 PATNA - While speculation mounted over whether Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad would continue in the union cabinet, a section of Congress workers here Tuesday took to the streets Tuesday to insist that it shouldn't be so. Disregarding the scorching heat, Congress workers marched with posters and banners to ask party president Sonia Gandhi to keep Lalu Prasad, railways minister in the outgoing cabinet, out of the new United Progressive Alliance government.

May 16th, 2009 PATNA - Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad has tasted victory and defeat in the same breath Saturday - winning one Lok Sabha seat and losing another one. Lalu Prasad won the Saran seat beating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) heavyweight Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

May 11th, 2009 PATNA - Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had 'sacrificed his secular image' by sharing a dais with a 'murderer' like Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Lalu Prasad said Monday. A day after the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) show of strength at an election rally in Ludhiana, where Janata Dal-United's (JD-U) Nitish Kumar and BJP's Narendra Modi held hands in a sign of camaraderie, Lalu Prasad hit out at his Bihar rival.

March 28th, 2009 PATNA - Railways Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Saturday filed his nomination papers from Saran constituency in Bihar. Soon after he filed the nomination papers, Lalu Prasad said he was confident of his victory.

March 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The rift in the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) widened further Sunday with a miffed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) deciding to contest even in the three Lok Sabha seats held by the Congress in Bihar. Hardening his stand against the Congress, RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad told reporters here that his party would put up candidates in Aurangabad, Sasaram and Madhubani with the backing of Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

March 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Monday released its list of 26 candidates from Bihar with party chief Lalu Prasad contesting from two constituencies in next month's parliamentary elections. 'We will now contest in 28 out of 40 seats in Bihar as per our seat sharing pact with the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

March 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Unmoved by the Congress declaring it would go it alone in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Saturday asserted that he would stick to the alliance firmed up with the Lok Janshakti Party for the state. Hours after the Congress announced that it would fight 37 of the state's 40 seats, RJD chief Lalu Prasad said: 'We will give only three seats to the Congress and there will be no reconsideration on this.' Yadav told reporters: 'If the Congress wants to field its candidates they can, but (Congress chief) Sonia Gandhi will realise the importance of the RJD after the elections.' The Congress move came after the RJD and Ram Vilas Paswan of LJP earlier in the week unilaterally decided the alliance formula for Bihar, leaving just three seats for the Congress.

March 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Unfazed by the Congress announcing it would go it alone in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Saturday asserted that he could not help if the Congress was unhappy with the seat sharing formula firmed up with the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and he would stick to it. At the same time, he sought to dispel talk about any spilt in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), saying his party continued to be a part of the ruling coalition.

March 3rd, 2009 PATNA - Admirers of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi are building a temple dedicated to the couple in Bihar. It will come up in a village in Kaimur district, about 150 km from here.

February 28th, 2009 PATNA - Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Friday inaugurated an ambitious plan to build 36,500 km of roads to connect villages in Bihar. At a function here Lalu inaugurated the plan to connect villages under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY).

February 28th, 2009 PATNA - Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Friday gave Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over Rs.40 crore (Rs.400 million) for the assistance of the Kosi flood victims in the state. Apart from Rs.386 million from the Railway Minister's Relief Fund (RMRF), Lalu Prasad, who heads the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), provided Rs.20 million on behalf of his party.

February 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI -Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Tuesday described as 'nonsense' a report that he would not spare more than 13 Lok Sabha seats to his allies in Bihar. 'All this is media fabrication.