"I want to assure the secular forces and the people of India that in this battle of Bihar, I am ready to gulp everything. Hum har tarah ka ghoont peene ko taiyar hain. Hum har tarah ka zehar peene ko taiyar hain. (I am ready to drink all types of poison)," said Lalu at a press conference, flanked by Mulayam Singh Yadav.
By making the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad to recommend Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar as chief ministerial candidate, the Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav tried to signal unity in the ranks of the socialist parties to contest against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the crucial state assembly polls of Bihar, scheduled in September-October. But in the coming days the seat distribution, accommodating other allies like the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and even the Left will prove a daunting task for the anti-BJP front.
Knowing fully well, that he cannot run for office due to his conviction in a corruption case, Lalu who was stated to have been batting to project one of his family members as deputy chief minister had to back out following the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi sending clear signals that he was backing Nitish Kumar as the chief minister, leaving the old ally the RJD high and dry. Even while announcing the name of Nitish as the chief ministerial candidate, Lalu could not hide his emotions, implying he was doing it under duress and he had run out of options.
"I want to assure the secular forces and the people of India that in this battle of Bihar, I am ready to gulp everything. Hum har tarah ka ghoont peene ko taiyar hain. Hum har tarah ka zehar peene ko taiyar hain. (I am ready to drink all types of poison)," said Lalu at a press conference, flanked by Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Notwithstanding the Janata Parivar alliance Nitish suspects that the RJD chief may not be able to transfer his core Yadav votes to the Janata Dal. He is, therefore, wooing the Congress to be a part of the secular alliance as that will not only keep Lalu under check but will also consolidate Dalit and Muslim votes. Nitish Kumar's calculation is that the Congress has equal number of votes of Dalits and Muslims as the RJD.
The Janata Dal sources here said though the Congress was not invited to the alliance talks held at the residence of Mulayam Singh, Bihar chief minister called on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to plead with him to be part of the alliance to help defeat the BJP. The Congress sources said while Rahul is still reluctant to have any truck with Lalu, the party will soon start negotiations on seat sharing with the Janata alliance. "Our priority is to firm up a formidable alliance against the NDA and checkmate communalism," said party spokesperson Shoba Ojha.
Back in Patna, Nitish went on record that there is "no doubt that Congress will be part of JD(U)-RJD alliance for the upcoming Bihar assembly polls." Pointing out that he had discussed various issues with Rahul, he said: "The Congress is definitely involved in the talks over the Bihar polls."
He said three members each of RJD and JD(U) will meet on Tuesday for discussions on the seat distribution. Lalu was initially opposed to projection of Nitish as the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance, but he changed the tune on Sunday, endorsing his candidature and claiming that no one from the RJD is interested to become the CM. The alliance has planned a rally on June 18 against the controversial land ordinance to test public mood.
Sources said the estranged RJD leader Pappu Yadav was giving Lalu trouble. He is reminding the Yadavs, backbone of Lalu's juggernaut, how badly they were treated during the 10-year rule of Nitish Kumar. Many in JD (U) also, say it would be difficult to sell development agenda, having an alliance with former chief minister Lalu Yadav, whose apathy towards development has been phenomenal during his tenure between 1990 and 2005.
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