Patna, July 4 :The national executive meeting of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), headed by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, began Friday afternoon at Bihar's Bodh Gaya to discuss the party's strategy in case parliamentary elections are held early.
The RJD's executive meeting was taking place for the first time after the party was granted the status of a national political party by the Central Election Commission last month.
“We will discuss the party strategy for the parliamentary elections, which is likely to be held either by the end of this year or early next year,” a senior RJD leader said, minutes before the meeting started in a Bodh Gaya hotel, about 110 km from the Bihar capital here.
Lalu Prasad is likely to talk about taking on the state's ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the Janata Dal (United) and the Bharatiya Janata Party, in the elections to parliament.
He is also likely to discuss strengthening the party's political base by projecting a joint United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
The meeting was attended by top leaders of the party including Lalu Prasad, his wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi, central ministers - Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Minister of State for Human Resource Development M.A.A. Fatmi, Minister of State for Agriculture Akhilesh Singh - party MPs and legislators.
RJD is an important constituent of the Congress-led UPA. The party won 24 Lok Sabha seats in the last parliamentary elections.
(IANS)
