Lalu Yadav To Be Shifted To Delhi AIIMS As Health Worsens

Preparations are on to take jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav to AIIMS in Delhi today for treatment after his health deteriorated, officials have said. His son and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and family, who are camping in Ranchi, are likely to accompany the former chief minister to the top medical institute in the national capital.

Lalu Yadav is being treated for a lung infection at a hospital in Ranchi, where he is serving a sentence after he was convicted in the Bihar fodder scam.

He would be shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi. A medical board of the jail has said he can be shifted to AIIMS. The jail administration will also have to take permission from a lower court to move Lalu Yadav to Delhi.

Tejashwi Yadav said he would speak with Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and ask for better treatment for his father.

"We want better treatment for him, but it is for doctors to analyse what treatment can be provided here, after all the test reports come. His situation is serious. I will meet the Chief Minister on Saturday," Tejashwi Yadav told reporters in Ranchi on Friday.

"He has already undergone heart surgery earlier and only 25 per cent of his kidney is functional. He has also been diagnosed with pneumonia. He is facing difficulty while breathing," the RJD leader said.

Lalu Yadav has been in jail since December 2017 after being convicted. He has served most of his jail sentence in Jharkhand at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences hospital.

In his absence, Tejashwi Yadav has been leading the RJD and has been credited with the party's strong performance in the Bihar election last year. It was the first time in 40 years that Lalu Yadav missed a state election campaign.

Tejashwi Yadav's party emerged as the largest but the opposition alliance fell short of a majority.