Lalan defiant, refuses to withdraw resignation

The ongoing crisis in JD(U) deepened further on Saturday as a defiant state party chief Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh Lalan refused to take back his resignation from the party post. The party has now begun to look for a new state president, according to sources.

“I don’t want to continue as president any more and so there is no question of taking back the resignation. There is no question of compromise on the issues I have raised,” he said after a meeting with JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav on Saturday.

Yadav held several meetings with Lalan throughout the day in a bid to mollify him. However, all efforts failed as Lalan remained adamant. Yadav was also expected to meet Chief Minister Nitish Kumar late on Saturday night.

Sources close to Lalan say he was reluctant to withdraw his resignation until he received a formal assurance from the chief minister on his demands for establishment of inner-party democracy.

Ruling out joining any other party, Lalan said he had suggested ways to strengthen the party and run it in a democratic manner. “I will continue to work for the party,” he maintained.

Yadav, however, denied that the party was going through a crisis. ‘This is not a major problem. It’s an organisational problem and does not threaten the coalition,” he said.

Nitish is also facing rebellion from party legislator Ram Parvesh Rai, who has called for his resignation for having

lunch with a former MP of the rival Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party Lal Babu Rai. Lal Babu had recently joined JD-U.

“The chief minister should pay due respect to the organisation and its people. If that can’t be done, please don’t mistreat them,” Parvesh Rai said.