A personality clash between Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and his predecessor Lalu Prasad Yadav has nipped a grand alliance in the bud in poll-bound Manipur. This comes amid efforts to forge a grand alliance of five parties to stop Congress juggernaut in the state.
The People’s Democratic Front (PDF) saw in Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) potential allies to put up a united fight against the ruling Congress. The PDF is led by regional Manipur People’s Party (MPP). The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) are its other constituents.
In the 2007 polls, the MPP was billed as a potential threat to the Congress. It did everything possible to whip up the regional sentiment but managed to win only five seats. The NCP and the RJD performed beyond expectations to win five and three seats respectively.
The proposed grand alliance was on track until JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar and RJD supremo Lalu Yadav purportedly ruling out any alliance with each other in Manipur.”Our thoughts of having ties with the RJD in the polls is shelved,” JD (U) Manipur unit president Moirangthem Tombi said. He did not elaborate but the decision was made in compliance with the wishes of party central leadership.
“We didn’t intend to defy central leadership but our decision to join the opposition front was owing to the prevailing political situation in Manipur,” RJD state unit general secretary N Sundari said.
For now, they seemed to be toeing the party line. But Manipur is known for party state units defying high commands. The Left Front pulled out its support to UPA five years ago but the Congress-CPI alliance still persists in the state.
“We need a united effort to dislodge the Congress and usher in a new political dawn in Manipur,” MPP president and PDF convener Nimai Chand Luwang said.
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