After Mayawati, now Sonia Gandhi to skip Lalu Prasad Yadav's anti-BJP rally

Patna: Congress president Sonia Gandhi will not be attending Lalu Prasad Yadav's anti-BJP rally 'Desh Bachao, Bhajpa Bhagao' on August 27 in Patna. 

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief said on Wednesday that senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and CP Joshi would attend the rally with a message from Sonia.

Asked about the chances of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi attending the event, Prasad said, "He could also be there."

On the other hand, he claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav would attend the RJD rally.

On Mayawati's absence, the Lalu said it was not a "setback".

"I had a talk with Mayawati. She said senior BSP leader Satish Mishra would come for the rally," he told reporters.

At the time of announcing the 'oust BJP rally' at the Gandhi Maidan, the RJD chief had said that he would bring Mayawati and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav together on one platform, which would mean the "end of the match for the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls".

Back then, JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar was in the Grand Alliance, also comprising the RJD and the Congress and Prasad, while heralding his coming together with Kumar in Bihar, had said joining hands by the SP and the BSP - the two arch rivals in Uttar Pradesh - would spell doom for the BJP in the next General Election.

Asked about Kumar's and JD(U) principal general secretary KC Tyagi's comments that if Sharad Yadav attends the RJD rally against the party line, he would lose his Rajya Sabha membership, the RJD chief claimed that there was no such provision, as per PTI.

"Is there any provision like this in any party? Political party leaders attend rallies organised by others. It does not come under the anti-defection law," he said.

Lalu further said, "Sharad Yadav represents the true JD(U)."

Sharad Yadav, who had attended a parallel 'Jan Adalat' meeting, instead of attending the JD(U) national executive meeting on Saturday, had asserted, "Mahagathbandhan jaari hain (the Grand Alliance is continuing)."

The RJD chief is criss-crossing the state to mobilise people for the August 27 rally, which he has claimed would be a major occasion to bring together the secular forces on one platform against the BJP ahead of the 2019 polls. 

(With PTI inputs)