Patna: RJD chief Lalu Prasad's wife Rabri Devi will not go to Rajya Sabha, RJD sources have said.
She will remain in Bihar while new faces - a combination of the old and new guard - will be sent to the Rajya Sabha. "Rabri Devi ji will not go to Rajya Sabha, because she wants to remain in Bihar," a senior RJD leader who is close to the first family said on the condition of anonymity.
"She has a lot of responsibility back home. She is looking after family matters in Lalu ji's absence. Moreover, a family member (hinting at daughter Misa Bharti) is already there in Rajya Sabha. That's the reason she will not go to Rajya Sabha."
Out of 59 Raya Sabha seats, voting will take place for six seats on March 23 and counting will take place that day itself. Of the six seats, two are represented by Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Dharmendra Pradhan of the BJP, and three others by Mahendra Prasad, also known as King Mahendra, Bashishtha Narayan Singh and Anil Kumar Sahni from the JDU. One seat went vacant after JDU MP Ali Anwar rebelled and was disqualified from the Rajya Sabha.
Going by the RJD's strength in the Assembly, Lalu can send two people to Rajya Sabha and there were rumours that Rabri was a probable, the idea being to get a bungalow in New Delhi.
But RJD sources denied this. "We need two strong leaders, both in the Assembly and the Council, who have good experience. Rabri ji is already there in the Council and Tejashwiji has made his mark in the Assembly. If bungalow were the issue, Rabri ji would have gone to Rajya Sabha a long time ago, when Misaji's name was announced," a senior RJD leader said.
Asked about probable names that could go to Rajya Sabha, the party insider said: "It is too early to guess the names but it has to be a combination of the old guard (Lalu camp) and new guard (Tejashwi camp). The final decision will be taken by Lalu ji. Before that Tejashwiji will visit Ranchi to meet him and finalise the names."
RJD's names for the Rajya Sabha polls will be announced in the next 10-12 days.