BJP will not win Lok Sabha polls, says RJD chief Lalu Prasad

Patna, Dec 7 (PTI) RJD president Lalu Prasad on Thursday dismissed the BJP's claim that its recent victory in assembly polls in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh has set the tone for its win in next year's Lok Sabha elections.

The septuagenarian leader, who is a staunch ally of the Congress, also berated Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his much talked about speech on Jammu and Kashmir inside Parliament the day before.

"How can they (BJP) win? The victory in Lok Sabha polls is going to be ours and it will be comprehensive," said the RJD supremo, who is a key figure in the INDIA coalition, with trademark aplomb.

Journalists had approached him with queries about the buoyancy in the BJP camp ever since it wrested Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh while retaining power in Madhya Pradesh, defying the incumbency factor.

He was also asked about Shah's speech inside the Lok Sabha on Wednesday when the Union Home Minister had asserted that PoK was a part of India and called for declaration of ceasefire without taking the control of entire Kashmir a "Nehruvian blunder".

"What does Amit Shah know? He has no knowledge of anything," said Prasad, who is known for pulling no punches while attacking his political adversaries.

The former chief minister of Bihar, who also held a cabinet berth in the first Manmohan Singh administration, added by way of twisting the knife, "Amit Shah is responsible for the violence we see in Jammu and Kashmir, and in PoK." Replying to another query, the RJD supremo said he was looking forward to attending the next meeting of INDIA which was "likely to be held on December 17-18". PTI