Lalu Prasad, Sonia in Rae Bareli to launch rail coach factory

August 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Tuesday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and dismissed reports of differences with her. "All talk of differences is wrong.

May 17th, 2009 PATNA/NEW DELHI - UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi Sunday rang up RJD chief and Railways Minister Lalu Prasad asking him to attend a meeting of the outgoing cabinet Monday and invited him to join the new government, sources close to the minister said. Bhola Yadav, personal assistant of Lalu Prasad, told IANS from Patna minutes before the minister left for Delhi that: 'Sonia-ji called up and invited him (Lalu Prasad) to attend the meeting and also join the government.' 'Lalu-ji has already regretted that the RJD did not ally with the Congress in the elections,' he added.

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.

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.

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.

January 27th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to her constituency Rae Bareli, cancelled all public functions Wednesday following the death of former president R. Venkataraman.

January 26th, 2009 RAE BARELI - Congress chief Sonia Gandhi Tuesday wished Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speedy recovery after a heart surgery. 'As you all know, he underwent a bypass surgery.

January 26th, 2009 RAE BARELI - United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi Tuesday launched a Rs.20 billion ($408 million) rail coach factory in her parliamentary constituency, Rae Bareli. 'The rail coach factory will serve the nation's biggest need - creating jobs.

January 26th, 2009 RAE BARELI - Four people were arrested Tuesday for trying to enter a high security zone in Rae Bareli town of Uttar Pradesh before the arrival of Railways Minister Lalu Prasad, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party MP Rahul Gandhi for the launch of a rail coach factory, police said. 'All the four were inside a black colour car without any number plate,' said a police official.

January 26th, 2009 RAE BARELI - Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Tuesday launched the country's third rail coach factory here at a cost of Rs.20 billion ($408 million), promising jobs to at least 8,000 people. 'The rail coach factory will serve the nation's biggest need - creating jobs.

January 26th, 2009 RAE BARELI - Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Tuesday accused the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of 'plotting' to privatise the railways. Lalu Prasad was in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli town along with United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi to inaugurate a rail coach factory.

January 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Monday announced a compensation of Rs.100,000 to the next of kin of the 12 people killed in a rail accident in Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh a day earlier. The accident, at Unchahar in Rae Bareli distict, occurred when a tractor-trolley was hit by the Kanpur-Allahabad passenger train while passing through an unmanned railway crossing level crossing.

January 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railways Minister Lalu Prasad, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party MP Rahul Gandhi will be in Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh Tuesday to launch a Rs.20 billion ($408 million) rail coach factory. Work on the project was stalled October following political wrangling.

January 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - With hurdles in setting up a rail coach factory in Rae Bareli finally removed, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit the Uttar Pradesh town next Tuesday to launch the Rs.20 billion ($408 million) project in the party chief's constituency. 'As the obstacles for the proposed rail coach factory have been cleared, Sonia Gandhi along with Rahul Gandhi and the railway minister will visit the place to restart the work on January 27,' a highly placed Railway Ministry source told IANS.

January 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - With hurdles in setting up a rail coach factory in Rae Bareli finally removed, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul will visit the Uttar Pradesh town next Tuesday to launch the Rs.20 billion ($408 million) project in the party chief's constituency. 'As the obstacles for the proposed rail coach factory have been cleared, Sonia Gandhi along with Rahul and the railway minister will visit the place to restart the work Jan 27,' a highly placed railway ministry source told IANS.