Patna: Incarcerated RJD chief Lalu Prasad tightened his family's grip over the party on Wednesday by constituting a new national executive and including his wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi as a vice-president.

Lalu's sons Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav as well as his eldest daughter Misa Bharti have been made national executive members, just like they were given space in the 2016 national executive.

Lalu, who is in prison in Ranchi after being convicted in two fodder scam cases, has retained his position as national president of the party, but has shown the door to jailed gangster Mohammad Shahabuddin.

With this, all of Lalu's family members who are in politics have been given place in the national executive. Lalu and Rabri have nine children. The six other daughters are married - some into political families - but are not in active politics.

The party now has five vice-presidents: Rabri, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Shivanand Tiwary, Ilyas Hussain, and Mangani Lal Mandal.

RJD national secretary general S.M. Qamar Alam, who has retained his position, said the national executive includes eight general secretaries, nine national secretaries and 59 members in the national executive. The party's spokesperson Manoj Jha has been given a place in the national executive.

Lalu's kicking out Shahabuddin, who is lodged in Tihar Jail in New Delhi, from the party's national executive on Wednesday was seen as an effort to silence critics who have been pointing out that a murder convict was a member of the highest decision making body of the party. However, the RJD chief has replaced Shahabuddin with the jailed don's wife Hena Shahab as a national executive member. Hena has been the party's candidate in the parliamentary polls since 2009.

The move was seen as an effort to ensure that no feathers are ruffled in the Siwan area at a time when Lok Sabha elections are approaching.

Legal eagle and Rajya Sabha member Ram Jethmalani has also been made a member of the national executive. He had represented Lalu in the Supreme Court.

The JDU criticised the inclusion of Rabri in the RJD national executive.

"RJD should change its name to Lalu Yadav Party," said JDU spokesperson and legislator Sanjay Singh. "The new national executive has once again made it clear that the party is a family fiefdom. Lalu should have included his sons-in-law too."

The RJD has ignored common party workers and the party will be wiped out in the next Lok Sabha elections, Sanjay claimed.