Lalu drops hint Tejashwi could be RJD face in next Bihar poll

Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal President Lalu Prasad on Friday dropped a hint that his younger son Tejashwi Yadav could be the party s face in the next assembly election in Bihar.

Asked for reaction on state RJD President Ramchandra Purve's comment that next government would be formed by the party under leadership of Tejaswi Yadav, Lalu Prasad praised leadership quality of his younger son.

"He (Tejashwi) is way ahead of all of us in terms of leadership abliity and oratory. I am not saying this merely because he is my son," the RJD chief told reporters.

Speaking after being elected the state president for the fourth consecutive terms recently, Purve had exulted, "we will form the next government in Bihar under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav".

Tejashwi Yadav, who turned 28 yesterday, had served as the Deputy Chief Minister in the Grand Alliance government of RJD, JD(U) and Congress.

However, a note of dissent came from RJD national vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, who said the issue of a Chief Ministerial candidate was "premature" and that "good leadership should be allowed to emerge by the time the state goes to polls.