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Bihar-like alliance for UP poll on the anvil

Nitish and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Ajit Singh are reported to have already joined hands after preliminary discussions in this regard in Delhi on Monday. Sources say that the Congress would also readily be part of this alliance, though the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in UP could be kept out of this anti-BJP alignment.

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Buoyed by the landslide victory of the anti-BJP 'maha gathbandhan' (grand alliance) in the Bihar Assembly election, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar has already started sewing up a similar coalition in Uttar Pradesh in preparation for the 2017 UP Assembly election.

Nitish and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Ajit Singh are reported to have already joined hands after preliminary discussions in this regard in Delhi on Monday. Sources say that the Congress would also readily be part of this alliance, though the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in UP could be kept out of this anti-BJP alignment.

"Yes Nitish ji and Chaudhry sahib (Ajit Singh) have met. We have been together in the (erstwhile) Janata Dal and have no reservations about forging an alliance for UP," JD (U) general secretary KC Tyagi told India 24x7 TV channel of Zee Media in Delhi on Wednesday while fielding questions about the prospective alliance.

Sources said Tyagi had already been entrusted the task of organizing a joint rally of the RLD and JD (U) in west UP after the Parliament session ends. Nitish is expected to announce the formation of the 'maha gathbandhan' at this rally. "The assent of the Congress would be obtained in the meantime," a senior RLD leader told dna.

UP RLD chief Suresh Niranjan told reporters in Allahabad that his party was indeed exploring a tie-up with the JD (U) and the Congress. "We want to repeat the success of the Bihar experiment in UP, too," he said.

The RLD and Congress had contested the 2012 UP Assembly election in alliance. But, the alignment did not continue in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. However, political watchers feel that after the BJP sweeping the parliamentary poll, it would be a matter of political expediency for parties like the JD (U) and RLD to align with the Congress to put up a joint front against the saffron brigade.

One queer development in this entire scheme of things is the underlying resistance to including the SP in the proposed grand alliance. The reason for this is obviously the manner in which the SP deserted the 'maha gathbandhan' in Bihar, allegedly to help the BJP.

For its part, the SP says it doesn't need any alliance for a repeat victory in UP. "Our party is preparing to contest the election alone and we are confident that we will return with an even bigger victory this time," SP MP and Mulayam's nephew Dharmendra Yadav told reporters.

The Congress is also being cautious for the time being. "As of now, we are preparing to contest the UP election alone. But let Nitish ji come up with his proposal. The Congress leadership will consider it and take a decision," said Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari.

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