Rahul Gandhi’s offer to resign suicidal: Lalu Prasad

In an interview with The Telegraph, Prasad said if Gandhi resigns, he will fall in the trap of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which swept the Lok Sabha polls by winning 303 seats.

He said: "It will amount to falling into the BJP’s trap. The moment someone else beyond the Gandhi-Nehru family replaces Rahul, the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah brigade will paint the new leader as a “puppet” remote-controlled by Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. This will play on it till the next general election. Why should Rahul give such an opportunity to his political detractors?"

He added, "The Opposition parties had the common goal to dislodge the BJP but failed to build a national narrative. All across northern, eastern and western India, they fought it as though it were a state election. They failed to synchronise their strategy and actions. The people were looking for a national alternative, which the Opposition parties — fighting in a disoriented manner in their respective states — failed to provide.

Every election has its own story. In this election, the BJP had Modi as the undisputed leader. But the Opposition parties didn’t have a consensus on one leader as the dulha of their baraat (groom of their wedding party). Moreover, Modi — a demagogue — found the playground bereft of the main strike bowler in a state like Bihar and just got a walkover."

After the dismal performance of the Congress, which managed to win 52 seats, party chief Gandhi has offered to resign. Though the Congress Working Committee (CWC) members rejected his offer, Gandhi stood firm in resigning.

Gandhi is likely to meet his party leaders in the afternoon on Tuesday over the crisis.

The Congress failed to open its account in 12 states in the Lok Sabha polls, the results of which came out on May 23.

Prasad's RJD, which had fought the elections in an alliance with the Congress, failed to win a single seat in Bihar. Prasad, who has been convicted in several fodder scam cases, is now lodged in jail.