Former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi on Monday said she will not contest the Assembly polls scheduled to be held later this year.
"I will not contest the Assembly elections," Rabri Devi told reporters after coming out of Bihar Legislative Council, of which she is currently a member. The first sitting of the Bihar Legislative Council during the monsoon session began today.
Rabri Devi is a three-time chief minister and ruled the state between 1997 and 2005. She had also contested Lok Sabha polls in 2014 from Saran but lost to BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
When asked, she confirmed speculations that her two sons Tejaswi Yadav and Tej Pratap would contest the polls.
RJD sources said she has been rooting for eldest son Tej Pratap as a successor to his father Lalu Prasad, who was chief minister from 1990 to 1997 and had to step down after being jailed in the fodder scam.
Prasad currently stands convicted by CBI court in the fodder scam, which awarded him a five year jail term and imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh on him in September 2013. He is currently out on bail.
The RJD chief, who was a Lok Sabha member at the time of his conviction, was automatically disqualified as an MP. He cannot contest elections for six years after his conviction term gets over. Meanwhile, speculations are rife that Nitish Kumar may also not contest the state polls after he evaded queries by media persons. He is currently an MLC.
"I have told you all earlier," Kumar said while coming out of the Legislative Council after it was adjourned for the day. It couldn't made out whether the reply was in negative or affirmative as he has never categorically talked about his election plans.
The Assembly elections will witness a battle between ruling JD(U) led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and its allies RJD, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party and National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising BJP, LJP of Ram Vilas Paswan, RLSP of Upendra Kushwaha and Hindustani Awam Morcha - Secular of former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.
