RJD president Lalu Prasad on Friday accompanied eldest daughter Misa Bharti and former MLA Faiyaz Ahmed for filing of nomination papers for biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha.
Chaos prevailed inside the Bihar assembly premises, where thousands of RJD supporters had turned up to catch a glimpse of their charismatic supremo.
The ailing septuagenarian, who has for years been troubled by legal wrangles, however, was not his usual ebullient self and chose not to engage with the crowds nor did he oblige journalists, waiting to hear him speak since he arrived in Patna two days ago.
The former CM had his face covered with a mask and he walked with shuffling, faltering steps, flanked on either side by sons Tej Pratap and Tejashwi who clutched at his arm to prevent him from tripping.
No member of the proverbial "first family" of the RJD, including Ms. Bharti who is set for a hat-trick in the Rajya Sabha, chose to speak to the media.
Mr. Ahmed, who lost his Bisfi seat of Madhubani district in the 2020 Assembly polls, after two back-to-back victories, expressed his gratitude before reporters towards the party supremo for backing him over many other claimants.
One such candidate was Hina Shahab, the widow of dreaded gangster turned politician Mohd Shahabuddin. She has fought Lok Sabha polls on a RJD ticket a number of times but never been successful in winning back for the party Siwan, which her husband used to lord over until his disqualification on account of conviction in a criminal case.
Her supporters staged a dharna in protest against the party turning its back on her and threatened to burn effigies of Prasad and Mr. Tejashwi, the RJD heir apparent.
Shahabuddin had died in Tihar jail last year after testing positive for COVID-19.
