Lalu Prasad Yadav supports bigger role for Rahul Gandhi in 2014 polls

RJD President Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday supported giving a bigger role to Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

"This will be a good thing (giving a bigger role to Rahul in 2014 general polls)," Prasad said.

"Every party projects its leader in elections ... So, what's wrong if Congress gives bigger role to Rahul Gandhi?" said Prasad whose party supports UPA II government from outside.

To questions about the political experience of Rahul Gandhi, he said: "When I had become chief minister of Bihar for the first time in 1990, I had no experience...Everybody learns through experience."

Asked about the possibility of a direct fight between Rahul Gandhi and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the next parliamentary polls, Prasad said: "Wait everything will be clear soon."

RJD, he said, would join hands with like-minded secular parties to defeat communal forces in 2014 general elections.

Prasad said efforts would be made to bring all secular parties on one platform before the 2014 general elections but if due to any reason it did not succeed another 'secular compartment' would be formed after elections.

On the prospect of Narendra Modi becoming the next prime minister, the RJD president said: "His dream will never be fulfilled."

In reply to a question on discussions at the Congress chintan shivir for granting special status to Bihar, Prasad said Union minister Kapil Sibal had denied it when he contacted him.

"Sibal told me that there was discussion on matters related to low per capita income in Bihar at the shivir," he said.

No party was opposed to special category status for Bihar, he said and questioned Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's sincerity on the issue.

"If Nitish is so sincere about special status for Bihar he could have achieved this when he was a minister in the NDA government," Prasad said.

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