Petition challenges Lalu Prasad Yadav as RJD chief

 A rebel Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) legislator Thursday filed a petition in the Patna High Court saying that under the rules, Lalu Prasad cannot be the party president after his conviction in the fodder scam.

"I have filed a petition against Lalu Prasad as he cannot be the RJD chief. According to the party constitution, any convicted person cannot be the party president," Samrat Choudhary said after filing the petition. Choudhary said he had approached the poll panel last month and sought its intervention to cancel the nomination papers of RJD candidates because the party symbol was distributed with the signature of a convicted Lalu Prasad.

Lalu Prasad, however, dismissed the charges against him as "baseless" and "useless". "There is no such party constitution that prevents me from being the party president," Lalu Prasad said, adding Choudhary had betrayed the RJD and is a defector.

Choudhary was the chief whip of the RJD in the assembly before he revolted in February. He submitted a letter with the signatures of 13 legislators stating they were quitting the RJD and requested the Bihar assembly speaker to be recognised as a separate group.

The speaker recognised them as a separate group, creating a controversy following which Lalu Prasad alleged that he acted in violation of the anti-defection law.

Nine of the 13 legislators later returned to Lalu Prasad's fold.