Agencies
NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 4
In an attempt to save the grand alliance from splitting up, RJD and JD(U) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharad Yadav on Friday met Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, possibly to pacify the latter who is upset over seat sharing between alliance parties in Bihar.
Talking to media, Sharad refuted claims that grand alliance is on the verge of breaking up.
“Grand alliance is same as it was before and will remain so in future also. There was no discussion on seat sharing.
The discussion was rather held on keeping the alliance strong,” said Sharad.
Besides him, Lalu Prasad said, “Mulayamji is our guardian and talks are going on with him.”
Meanwhile, taking a dig at the whole issue, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan told ANI, “I don’t think they’ll be able to pacify Mulayamji. The latter anyways has stubborn nature. He can’t be fooled.”
Getting into damage control Lalu, whose daughter is married to the SP chief’s son, rushed to the national capital from Patna and called on the SP chief at his residence where he was joined in by JD-U President Sharad Yadav to discuss ways to salvage the alliance.
While there was no word from the SP today a day after it held a press conference in Lucknow to announce the break-up over being offered only five seats in the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the JD-U President put up a brave face saying “everything will be settled”.
Earlier, addressing a press conference in Lucknow yesterday, the SP national general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav had announced the party’s decision to leave the alliance saying it felt “humiliated” as it was not consulted while deciding seats and would contest the Assembly election in the state on its own.
Soon after, the JD-U President had held a press conference in which he said that he would find a “solution” after talking to “Bhai (brother) Mulayam”.
