News Desk: Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi met Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in New Delhi on Monday, with the two veteran political leaders recalling their association during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and discussing its welfare initiatives.
The meeting took place at the residence of Lalu Yadav's daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti. RJD leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav was also present during the meeting.
According to Lalu Yadav, Sonia Gandhi visited the residence to enquire about his health. The RJD chief shared details of the meeting in a post on social media platform X, saying that their conversation brought back memories of the UPA era.
He said the leaders recalled how the government, under the leadership of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had introduced several public welfare initiatives aimed at benefiting farmers, young people, soldiers and ordinary citizens.
Lalu specifically mentioned landmark legislations such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the Right to Education Act (RTE) and the Right to Information Act (RTI). He said these initiatives had played an important role in empowering people and strengthening transparency in governance.
The RJD chief also highlighted the financial assistance provided to Bihar during the UPA government's tenure. According to him, more than ₹1.45 lakh crore was allocated for the development of the state under Manmohan Singh's leadership.
Speaking to reporters, Tejashwi Yadav explained the circumstances behind the meeting. He said Lalu Prasad Yadav had travelled to Delhi for a routine medical check-up. He had met Sonia Gandhi the previous day and informed her about his father's visit.
Tejashwi said Sonia Gandhi herself expressed a desire to meet Lalu, following which she visited the family residence on Monday.
He also highlighted the close relationship between the two political families, saying that Sonia Gandhi and Lalu Yadav had supported each other during difficult periods. Their meeting was particularly significant as they had not met in person for quite some time.
The meeting comes a day after opposition parties under the INDIA bloc organised a rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan over allegations of 'vote chori'.
During the rally, opposition leaders targeted the BJP-led government and raised concerns over electoral processes. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Although the meeting was described as a health-related visit, the timing has drawn political attention amid renewed opposition efforts to strengthen unity against the ruling BJP.
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