Sonia invites Lalu to attend cabinet meeting

October 2nd, 2009 NAGAUR - Congress President Sonia Gandhi will address a public meeting here this afternoon to mark the golden jubilee of the launch of the Panchayti Raj program. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Union Minister C P Joshi and state cabinet Ministers will also attend the function.

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 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 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With their vote tally having plummeted, former UPA allies Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Samajwadi Party (SP) Monday sounded chastened as they offered the new United Progressive Alliance government their unconditional support and said they were not interested in being part of the new ministry. RJD leader Lalu Prasad, who was railways minister, was in the capital to attend the last cabinet meeting of the outgoing government.

May 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Outgoing Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Monday said that his party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), would extend unconditional support to the new United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Emerging from the last meeting of the outgoing cabinet, Lalu Prasad said his party would provide 'unconditional support' to the new government.

May 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad today said he would lend unconditional support to the UPA Government. After attending a meeting of the Union Cabinet, Lalu said he is ready to offer unconditional support to the government.

May 17th, 2009 PATNA - Hours later United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi called up Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Chief Lalu Prasad to attend the Cabinet meet, the Railways Minister said his party was ready to join the Congress-led Government at the Centre. Lalu has not been attending cabinet meetings ever since he forged an alliance with the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP).

May 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With his Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) reduced to just four Lok Sabha seats, party chief Lalu Prasad said Sunday he would 'always' support the UPA, whether or not he is part of the new government. On his arrival in Delhi after being called by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi to attend a meeting of the outgoing cabinet on Monday, the railways minister told reporters: 'I being a part of the government or not is another thing.

May 17th, 2009 PATNA - In a magnanimous gesture to reach out to her estranged ally and Union Railway minister, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Sunday called up Railway Minister Lalu Prasad requesting him to attend the Cabinet meet scheduled for Monday. "UPA chairperson rang up the Railway Minister last evening and requested him to attend a meeting of the union Cabinet on Monday," his private secretary Bhola Yadav said here on Sunday.

May 9th, 2009 CHENNAI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday said that the media was 'sensationalising' the absence of UPA partners - Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan and DMK leaders from Friday's cabinet meeting. Asked to comment on the absence of the ministers from a cabinet meeting, Manmohan Singh said: 'Media sometimes is interested in sensationalism of even trivial issues.

May 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI/KOLKATA - Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan will skip a meeting of the union cabinet called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here Friday evening. However, Paswan clarified that he was staying away because of a prior commitment in Kolkata and that his Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) would remain within the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

May 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Three key constituents of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) skipped a cabinet meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called here Friday evening, but said they were still part of the coalition. Railways Minister Lalu Prasad, who had made it apparent that he would stay away, however, sent a representative.

May 8th, 2009 KOLKATA - Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) supremo Ram Vilas Paswan has said that he too will miss out on Friday's Union Cabinet meeting. Earlier, it was reported that Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Party (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav would also miss the meeting.

May 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - An angry Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav is expected to skip today's cabinet meeting in the capital in the wake of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi suggesting a possible political arrangement with Lalu's rival in Bihar -- Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The otherwise media-friendly and gregarious Lalu shunned the media on Thursday even as polling was held for three Bihar Lok Sabha seats, including Pataliputra, which he is contesting.

May 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan are likely to skip a meeting of the union cabinet called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here Friday, sources said. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chiefs, key members of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), seem to be miffed over Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's praise of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, they said.