Sonia will join Nitish, Lalu in Bihar mega rally

With Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav all set to “miss” the first big show of unity, it seems all is not well in the Janata Parivar. However, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad will breathe a sigh of relief with Congress president Sonia Gandhi agreeing to attend the grand alliance rally on Sunday.

Meanwhile, in a late night development, the SP decided to participate in the rally of <g data-gr-id="91">grand</g> secular alliance, but its chief would not attend it. The decision was taken after a talk between Mulayam and Lalu Prasad. “We have received communication that Shivpal Singh Yadav and Kironmoy Nanda would represent SP in Sunday’s rally,” Bihar SP president Ramchandra Singh Yadav said.

Earlier, acting as a pacifier, Lalu Prasad has offered to “gift” two more seats from his 100-seat quota to SP, which was “rejected” by state unit of SP as the party is demanding 12 seats. “Samajwadi Party will be given five seats in Bihar’s seat sharing arrangement. RJD will give two seats rest others will give,” Lalu said.

According to state Congress leaders, it has been confirmed that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will be sharing the dais with Kumar and Lalu. The Congress chief would be accompanied by Ghulam Nabi Azad and CP Joshi during the Swabhiman rally, which will be held at Patna’s largest Gandhi Maidan.

The disagreement over seat sharing was started soon after JD(U), RJD and the Congress had announced their <g data-gr-id="58">seat sharing</g> formula for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections on August 12. The JD(U) and RJD had decided to contest on 100 seats each for the 243-member assembly, while Congress, as per the seat agreement, was asked to field its candidates at 40 constituencies.

According to JD(U) leaders, the people, whoever attending the show, would be administered oath about playing a key role in development of state along with protecting their self-respect. “The people of the state would take pledge to root out BJP from the state. They would be told to teach a lesson to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by giving a clear mandate to Nitish Kumar in the upcoming Assembly elections as BJP-led government at the Centre has ditched the state by giving special status,” said a JD(U) leader.

Taking a jibe at grand rally by JD(U), RJD and Congress, Union Agriculture Minister and senior BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh said that it’s not an alliance of political partners, though it’s a coalition of diddlers. “Given the fact that ‘mother-son’ government cheated the nation for decades, the ‘husband-wife’ government looted the state for 15 years and Nitish Kumar ditched the state for two-and-half years, the grand alliance is not <g data-gr-id="59">mahagadbandhan</g>, but its <g data-gr-id="60">mahathagbandhan</g>,” the former Bihar BJP president said.