Lalu will woo upper castes

Jun 24, 2010 |

New Delhi

Keen to regain power in Bihar after a five-year gap, the RJD is set to reach out to upper castes, with its chief Lalu Prasad Yadav saying his party is not against them and wanted to work for their upliftment along with OBCs, dalits and Muslims.

The RJD will contest the Bihar Assembly polls, expected to be held by November, in alliance with the LJP but any pre-poll tieup with the Congress is unlikely as the latter is not inclined.
Viewing the JD(U) and the BJP as main rivals in the upcoming polls, Mr Yadav has decided to go beyond his traditional vote bank of OBCs, dalits and Muslims and woo the upper castes who have been upset with him for his reported barbs against them at Begusarai about 10 years back.
In an interview to PTI, he insisted that he never made any comments against the upper castes and the statements attributed to him were “false” and “concocted” by his political rivals.
The reported comments of Mr Yadav were seen aimed at provoking the backwards and dalits to target four upper castes — Brahmin, Bhumihar, Rajput and Lala, alias Kayasthas.
“I am not against upper castes and never hurt their interests,” he said. —PTI

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