Sharad Yadav attends RJD rally

Patna, Aug 27 (IANS) Rebel JD-U leader Sharad Yadav on Sunday shared a stage for the first time with RJD chief Lalu Prasad at an anti-BJP rally, ignoring the JD-U's warning not to attend it.

Sharad Yadav, a former Janata Dal-United President, joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) at its "Desh Bachao, BJP Bhagao" rally at Gandhi Maidan here.

JD-U leaders including General Secretary K.C. Tyagi and party spokesperson Neeraj Kumar declared that Sharad Yadav has now joined hands with the corrupt and that the JD-U led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will act against him.

Sharad Yadav was warmly welcomed by Lalu Prasad when he reached the stage. A smiling Lalu Prasad shook hands with and hugged Sharad Yadav before the huge gathering.

Before coming to attend the rally, Sharad Yadav told the media that he was with the Grand Alliance and his JD-U was real JD-U.

"Lets wait for one or two months. I will publicly prove it that the JD-U is our party," he said.

Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad also attended the rally.

C.P. Joshi of the Congress, NCP's Tarique Anwar, RLD's Choudhary Jayant Singh, CPI's Sudhakar Reddy, former Jharkhand Chief Ministers Hemant Soren of JMM, Babulal Marandi of the JVM, AIUDF leader Baadruddin Azmal and leaders from the DMK, JD-S and RSP also attended the rally.

Thousands of people attended the rally despite floods affecting major parts of Seemanchal, Koshi and Mithilanchal regions of north Bihar.

Also present at the rally were Lalu Prasad's younger son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi and their daughter Misa Bharti.