Lalu Prasad not to attend Karunanidhi's birthday celebrations

Patna: RJD president Lalu Prasad will not attend the birthday celebrations of DMK chief M Karunanidhi in Chennai on Saturday, which is being seen as a major event to bring together non-BJP parties ahead of the presidential elections.

"Lalu ji is suffering from fever and hence will not be able to go to Chennai tomorrow," his close aide and MLA Bhola Yadav told PTI today.

Party spokesperson Ashok Sinha also confirmed Yadav's inability to go to Chennai tomorrow.

Both Prasad and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were invited to the 94th birthday celebrations of the DMK patriarch by his daughter and party MP Kanimozhi.

Both leaders had accepted the invitation and Nitish Kumar even had talks with DMK working president Stalin in the presence of Kanimozhi.

Lalu Prasad's cancellation of travel plan to Chennai is being read in political circles as his unwillingness to be seen with Kumar, who had skipped a luncheon meeting hosted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on May 26 in which he himself was present.

Both RJD and JD(U) - the Grand Alliance partners - have, however, dismissed it.

"Lalu jee is not going to Chennai purely on health grounds on advise of doctors. There is nothing political in it," Sinha said.

JD(U) chief spokesperson Sanjay Singh too said, "Lalu jee is not going to Chennai on medical grounds and it's wrong to read any politics in this," Singh said.

Gathering of prominent leaders of non-BJP parties in Chennai is seen a major event in the direction of forging unity among opposition ahead of July Presidential election and 2019 general elections.