‘Staying at PM house without wife wrong’: Lalu on 'get married' advice to Rahul Gandhi

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on Thursday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi the “convenor of corrupts” while claiming that the grand alliance of opposition parties will get at least 300 seats in the next general elections.

When asked whether his advice to Rahul Gandhi to get married was in any way linked to the Congress leader being the prime ministerial candidate, the former Bihar chief minister said both are separate matters but added that “whoever becomes the PM should not be without a wife.”

“Staying at the PM residence without a wife is wrong. This should be done away with,” the RJD chief told reporters.

Referring to Ajit Pawar's induction into the Eknath Shinde-led government, Lalu Prasad Yadav said that Modi is the “convenor of corrupts.”

“Didn't you see he made the same person minister whom he earlier called corrupt?”

The joint press conference by opposition parties in Patna last month saw a light-hearted moment when Lalu Prasad Yadav advised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to get married soon.

“Rahul Gandhi did a very good job in the Bharat Jodo Yatra and spoke well in the Lok Sabha on the Adani group row...You didn't heed our advice and didn't get married..should have gotten married...Abhi bhi samay beeta nahi hai, shaadi kariye aur hum log baraati chalein (It's still not late. Get married so we can attend the wedding),” Lalu Prasad Yadav said, triggering laughter in the press conference room.

Many political pundits on social media also saw the advice as a veiled declaration of Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate.

Earlier today, Lalu Prasad said he will travel to Bengaluru for the meeting of the opposition parties on July 17-18.

"I am going to Delhi for my routine medical examination, including blood tests. After that I will come back to Patna, and then go to Bangaluru for the meeting of the opposition parties, and also for preparing the ground for the ouster of the Modi government from the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," he told reporters at the Patna airport.

The second meeting of the 'like-minded' opposition parties will be held in Bengaluru on July 17-18. The first meeting was held in Patna on June 23.