SP welcomes JD(U)'s decision to consider severing ties with BJP

With the Janata Dal (United) prepping plans to end its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Wednesday hailed this move, saying it is a clear indication that the political outfit headed by Sharad Yadav is not comfortable with any Prime Ministerial candidate who does not have the secular credentials.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Kamal Farooqi hailed the decision of Janata Dal (United) to distance itself from the BJP.

"Janata Dal (United) was absolutely right in distancing themselves with the Modi faction and even now they have very clearly said that our executive committee resolution will be passed in Delhi, it stands they are not comfortable with any prime ministerial candidate who does not have the secular credentials," he said.

Janata Dal (United) leader Jai Narain Prasad Nishad said today that his party would back BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani as the Prime Ministerial candidate.

"According to our leaders, our party will remain with NDA if Lal Krishna Advani is projected by the Bharatiya Janata Party as prime ministerial candidate," said Nishad.

The BJP, however, expressed hope that its alliance with the Janata Dal (United) would remain intact.

"We do not consider alliance as a compulsion. On the contrary, we see it as our responsibility to have an alliance and we have stuck to the principle of alliance with honesty. We have made an earnest effort to ensure that the alliance is strengthened and it remains intact," said BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

The Janata Dal (United), which has reservations on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, will soon take a decision on whether to continue its alliance with the BJP or not. The latest development in this regard comes just says Modi was elevated as the chairman of BJP's campaign committee.

The LK Advani resignation drama over the past two days has added to the Janata Dal (United), crisis of confidence in relation to ties with the BJP.

A meeting of JD-U can be called to decide the fate of the alliance any time after June 14. 

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has held talks with party president Sharad Yadav and other senior state JD (U) leaders, weighing the pros and cons of remaining in alliance with the BJP.

JD-U has 118 MLAs in 243-member Bihar assembly and needs the support of only four more MLAs to reach the magic figure. There are 91 MLAS from BJP, 21 from RJD and one each from LJP and CPI in the state assembly.