Rabri, Jethmalani RJD candidates for RS polls

Patna: Former chief minister Rabri Devi (57) and former union law minister Ram Jethmalini (93) will be the RJD candidates for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections. The decision was taken by RD president Lalu Prasad on Wednesday.

The RJD election committee and parliamentary board had authorised Lalu to select the nominees.
Jethmalani was elected to Rajya Sabha on BJP ticket from Rajasthan while Rabri is member of Bihar Vidhan Parishad. Dr Misa Bharti , daughter of Rabri who too was a claimant for a Rajya Sabha seat, has been offered a seat in Vidhan Parishad for the seat to be vacated by her mother.
Meanwhile,  CM Nitish Kumar who is also president of JD(U) on Wednesday said his party would field its candidates for two Rajya Sabha and two Vidhan Parishad seats. With its strength of 71 members in state assembly, the JD(U) can win two seats each in Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Parishad, the elections to which are due on June 10 and June 11 respectively. All the five retiring Rajya Sabha members are from the JD(U). Nitish held a meeting with the state president Bashistha Narain Singh for selection of party nominees. May 31 is the last date for filing of nomination paper.

Jethmalani had defended Lalu in the fodder scam in the CBI court at Ranchi. He was a member of Lok Sabha also and union law  minister.