Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Tuesday sang paeans for his cabinet colleague, Rail Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for seeking votes in favour of Secular Democratic Front in Bihar Assembly election.

Addressing an election meeting, Dr Singh repeatedly eulogised Lalu to drive home his point that Bihar could make progress only when the RJD and its allies Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Communist Party of India (Marxist) were voted to power.

"He is a leader of calibre and the state can make tremendous development under his and his friends' stewardship," Dr Singh remarked before a cheering audience.

In an apparent bid to contrast achievements of former Rail Minister and National Democratic Alliance chief ministerial candidate Nitish Kumar with those of Mr Prasad, Dr Singh said Mr Prasad brought an 'unprecedented' change in the railway ministry since he occupied the top post in the ministry nearly one and half years ago.

"Reforms which were brought in by him in the Railway Ministry had no precedent," Dr Singh said.