RJD will not contest UP polls, says Lalu

As Janata Dal-U president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar addressed a public meeting organised by Bahujan Samaj Sangharsh Samiti in Lucknow on Tuesday, RJD president Lalu Prasad announced that his party will not contest the elections in UP next year. Lalu said,” Samadhi ka bhi khayal rakhana hai (I have to keep in mind my daughter’s father-in-law (Mulayam Singh Yadav). Lalu’s youngest daughter is married to nephew of Mulayam. Nitish has gone to Lucknow at the invitation of former BSP leader R K Chaudhury who has organised a programme to celebrate the birth anniversary of Chhatrapayti Sahujiji Maharaj. Nitish is actively campagning in UP and has addressed about a dozen meetings in the state under the banner of Janata Dal U. Announcement of Lalu may affect the JDU prospects as RJD would support Samajwadi Party in the assembly elections and there would be consolidation of Yadav and Muslim votes in favour of Lalu-Mulayam adversely affecting the Janata Dal U . Lalu said here on Tuesday, “I am dead against RS and BJP. I will campaign against them in UP elections. I have decided not to field RJD candidates in UP and would work for my Samadhi (Mulayam Singh Yadav). By declaring his preference for his relative, Lalu has given a clear signal to Nitish Kumarr that he would prefer SP than JDU in Uttar Pradesh elections. (Ham Samadhi ke baat par dhyan denge-I will honour the commitment to my relative.) In 2012 assembly elections, RJD had fielded only four candidates and They polled together 31847 votes which was 0.04 pc of the valid votes polled there. JDU had put up 219 candidates who got 270303 votes(0.36 pc of the valid votes) and Lok Janshakti Party of Ramvilas Paswan had contested in 212 constitutencies. They got 1,73458 votes which was 0.23 pc of the valid votes polled in the state.