Patna: It was an unusual scene at Bihar assembly’s annexe building here on Saturday when legislators, cutting across party lines, queued up to donate blood for common people.

Altogether 112 legislators and former legislators, 11 of them women, donated blood at a special blood donation camp organized for lawmakers on the occasion of annual general meeting of the Bihar chapter of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). Though this meeting is held every year on the assembly premises, it was for the first time that pro-people programmes such as blood donation camp and cancer awareness seminar were organized at the initiative of Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary.

While RJD boss Lalu Prasad’s younger son and deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav led the team of ministers and ruling grand alliance’s MLAs in donating blood, the opposition BJP members led by the leader of opposition in assembly Prem Kumar, were also seen queued up. Though Tejashwi was aware of his blood group, Prem had no clue about his blood group. Former CM Rabri Devi, like a doting mother, remained by the side of Tejashwi’s bed when he donated blood.

Tejashwi’s elder brother Tej Pratap, despite being the state’s health minister, was conspicuous by his absence. Principal secretary (health) R K Mahajan was personally monitoring the blood donation by the ministers and legislators.
It was for the first time that several ministers/legislators donated blood. “Earlier, I never got an opportunity to donate blood,” urban development minister Maheshwar Hazari told TOI. Same was the case with RJD MLAs Lalit Kumar Yadav and Mohd Nematullah.

“Blood has been collected by the PMCH’s blood bank. It will be distributed free among the needy and poor persons who reach PMCH for treatment,” Speaker Choudhary said.
He said it was for the first time that legislators, rising above party polities, came together and donated blood for poor patients. “It has sent a good message across Bihar and outside the state as well that even MLAs are donating blood for the benefit of common public,” Choudhary said.

Source: TOI