‘Bihar-like grand alliance to topple BJP in 2019 polls’
RANCHI: Hours after meeting Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad in Ranchi jail on Monday, former Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav said they were working on a ‘Mahagathbandhan’ (grand alliance), on the lines of the one which took on the BJP in Bihar, for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Yadav, who broke away from the Nitish Kumar-led JD (U) and now heads his own faction, landed in Ranchi on Sunday and met former chief minister and chief of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-prajatantrik (JVM(P)) Babulal Marandi.
He was accompanied by Marandi and JVM(P) legislator Pradeep Yadav to the jail on Monday for meeting Lalu Prasad.
“Drawing inspiration from the success of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar (in 2015 assembly elections), we are planning to replicate it across the country during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. I had discussion with Lalu ji on the issue,” said Yadav.
He also lashed out at Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for breaking ties with the RJD and joining forces with the BJP.
The act, he said, was against the people’s mandate who had voted for the alliance.
Yadav also slammed the BJP in Jharkhand for allegedly violating the 10th schedule of the constitution, related to defection of JVM (P) MLAS.
“They (BJP) lured six JVM(P) legislators to join their party but the legislators continue to serve their posts. On the contrary, I was disqualified from the Rajya Sabha for defection,” he said.
Babulal joining the meeting between the two leaders holds significance for Jharkhand’s politics because the opposition parties have been rallying to form an alliance against the incumbent BJP government at the Centre and in the state.
Assembly elections in the state are due in November next year.
While the Congress, RJD and the Shibu Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) have had alliances in the past, the JVM (P) and JMM have not forged any tieups so far.