PATNA: Lalu Prasad has returned from Singapore, where he had gone earlier this month for treatment of kidney problems, but the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president may stay away from the political hubbub of his home turf Bihar for a while.
His eldest daughter Misa Bharti, at whose place Prasad stays whenever he is in Delhi, made it clear that her father's health is the family's top priority and other things may wait for another day.
“He was advised a number of tests, many of which can take place in India. We are lining up these and reports will be shared with the experts in Singapore for further course of action,” Bharti told PTI-Bhasha over the phone.
She was also asked when Prasad, the evergreen superstar of the spectacle that electoral politics tends to become, was expected in his home state where the party he had founded 25 years ago faces bypolls in a couple of assembly segments.
“He will not be visiting Patna in the immediate future. He must remain here, take rest and follow other medical advice,” asserted Bharti, who is a Rajya Sabha member.
On the wrong side of 70 and suffering from multiple ailments, the once robust Prasad has weathered many jail sentences in fodder scam cases and his poor health has caused him to spend much of his prison terms at hospitals in Ranchi and Delhi.
Out on bail, Prasad had to secure permission from the court to go abroad and he spent about a fortnight in the southeast Asian country amid speculations that he might even undergo a kidney transplant.
He had permission to remain outside the country only till October 25 and he came back a day before that date and celebrated Diwali with his daughter's family, and Bharti said he may seek fresh permission in due course.
“We have not moved any application in the court (for more trips abroad). We are in touch with Singapore doctors and when they indicate that a visit is required, we will do the needful,” she said.
Meanwhile, the party seems to have been sounded off, well in advance, about its founding chief's non-availability in the bypolls to Mokama and Gopalganj seats, a reason why his name has been conspicuous by its absence in the list of star campaigners.
Nonetheless, Prasad had made it amply clear at the RJD national council earlier this month that the party was in safe hands, with his younger son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav firmly in the saddle.
The seasoned politician is believed to have played an instrumental role in the seamless return to the 'Mahagathbandhan' (Grand Alliance) of his arch rival, chief minister Nitish Kumar, two months ago which turned the tables on the BJP and stripped it of power in the state.
The upheaval resulted in Yadav landing the deputy CM's post for another term and the young leader is making headlines with a hands-on approach that reminds people of his father, notwithstanding the suaveness of the son which marks a stark contrast with the earthiness of Prasad.
RJD sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said in a jocular vein that the party has better chances of success in the bypolls if Tejashwi Yadav steers the campaign as Lalu's presence helps the BJP raise the bogey of "return of jungle raj"
