Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad with party MLAs in Patna on Tuesday
Lalu Prasad took to the streets in Patna today leading scores of party workers in protest against what he called Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's conspiracy to split his Rashtriya Janata Dal.
Among those who marched with him to the state Assembly were nine of 13 party legislators who had yesterday announced that they were splitting the RJD. On the way, RJD workers threw stones at the home of the Bihar assembly Speaker and shouted slogans accusing him of joining hands with Mr Kumar.
"The Speaker and Nitish Kumar cheated us. We will not spare anyone who conspired against us," said an angry Lalu, as he staged his show of strength. He will also march to the state Governor's residence at 6 this evening.
Yesterday, 13 of Lalu's 22 Bihar legislators had met Speaker Uday Narain Choudhary and sought to be recognised as a separate group. The Speaker immediately declared them "unattached" from the RJD, earning Lalu's ire.
Within an hour last evening, with Lalu Prasad doing damage control, the RJD announced that six of the rebels were back in the party fold. This morning they attended a meeting of RJD legislators at Lalu's home in Patna, as did three others from the rebel group.
"Nine MLAs have returned. We will search for those who haven't. This is a conspiracy. Signatures have been forged," Lalu alleged.
This morning, he accused Nitish Kumar of adopting unscrupulous means to make up numbers in the Bihar assembly after his split with the BJP last year. "Nitish Kumar has gone crazy since the divorce (with the BJP)....his conspiracy is similar to the American Water'kaand' (Watergate)."
While the Speaker rubbished the allegation, Nitish Kumar, in Delhi for a meeting of non-Congress, non-BJP parties said, "If the MLAs want to join, they are welcome."
The rebels MLAs had said yesterday that they would join hands with Mr Kumar whose Janata Dal (United) has reportedly promised them ticket for the general elections due by May or assignments in the Bihar government.