Mulayam, NCP form ‘Third Front’ for Bihar elections
LUCKNOW: Days after exiting the grand alliance, the Samajwadi Par t y ( SP) on Thursday announced its decision to contest the Bihar assembly polls with the Samajwadi Janata Dal-Democratic, the Nationalist Congress Party and the National People’s Party, presenting a third alternative to voters.
Ram Gopal Yadav, national general secretary of the SP, unveiled the new front at a press conference in Lucknow on Thursday.
“We will contest the Bihar assembly polls with SJD-D led by former Union minister Devendra Prasad Yadav, the NCP and the NPP headed by former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma,” said Yadav. “We will meet in Patna tomorrow (Friday) and decide seat-sharing for the first phase of the elections.”
SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had walked out of Bihar’s ‘Mahagathbandan’ comprising the Janata Dal (United), Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal. The party said it had been insulted by the offer of only five seats against its demand of minimum 12 for the polls.
The SP is planning to field candidates from the “extremely backward classes” (EBCs) for the 243-member assembly polls to be held in five phases from October 12.
“The front has not decided on who will be its chief minister candidate,” said Ram Gopal. “We will contest in all the seats of the Bihar assembly polls.”
The assembly polls in Bihar will be fought in five phases between October 12 and November 5 in a highstakes battle, seen as a major popularity test for the NDA spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and incumbent chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is in alliance with the RJD and the Congress.
The front has not decided on who will be its chief minister candidate... We will contest in all the seats in the Bihar assembly polls. RAM GOPAL YADAV, national general secretary of Samajwadi Party