Lalu Prasad was jailed in a fodder scam case. (File pic)
Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad will visit the riot-hit Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh after his release from jail, sources in his party said. Mr Prasad is expected to be released tomorrow following his bail on Friday.
According to his supporters, the idea of a trip to Muzaffarnagar came to Mr Prasad when he came to know about the poor condition of relief camps, where thousands of riot-affected families, mostly Muslims, have taken shelter following the violence in September. Dozens of children recently died in those camps.
With national elections due by May 2014, the visit can be read as Lalu Prasad's efforts to galvanise Muslim voters, his party's crucial support base.
The 66-year-old politician was arrested and jailed in Ranchi in September after being found guilty of embezzling government funds while he was Bihar Chief Minister. He was jailed for five years.
Sources in the RJD said Mr Prasad will begin his 325-km journey from Ranchi to Patna on Tuesday with a convoy of hundreds of vehicles. On the way, he is also expected to address his party workers and visit important religious sites.
After he was convicted, Lalu Prasad was disqualified as a parliamentarian and banned from contesting elections for six years, both rules set by a recent Supreme Court verdict which called for barring MPs convicted in corruption cases.